Zzz...........

You're not the only one who does that...

35% of all adults in the U.S. report sleeping for less than seven hours per night on average ^{(NSF 2021)}

^{Source: NCAA}

The average American adult reports about two nights of insufficient sleep per week ^{(NCAA n.d.)}

^{Source: NCBI}

Just like you eat and breathe, you need sleep to help “heal itself” and “restore its chemical balance.” While sleep is essential to our lives, people are not getting enough sleep. So what is considered as getting enough sleep?  After thorough research and testing, the National Sleep Foundation discovered that different sleep duration is recommended for each age group based on the RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method to analyze the data. ^{(Hirshkowitz 2015)} The recommended hours of sleep vary for children and adults, but for healthy adults who are 18 years or older, we need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night to get the appropriate rest.^{(Hirshkowitz 2015)} Despite the recommendations, people still do not adhere to the guidelines.

After further research, it seems that 46% of total participants within the age group 18-29  reported receiving less than 7 hours of sleep per night. ^{(Jones 2021)} This means that almost one out of every two people do not get sufficient sleep. The age group 30 to 49 is not much better with 44%, but we see a decrease in people getting insufficient sleep for 50 years old and older. ^{(Jones 2021)}  

^{Source: Gallup}

For the same groups of participants, they are asked if they would benefit from getting more sleep regardless of whether they got 7 hours of sleep or not. ^{(Jones 2021)} The purpose of this question is to explore whether participants feel like they need more sleep to feel less tired and function better. The group that highest response for getting more sleep would benefit them is 30-49 followed by 18-20. ^{(Jones 2021)} Looking at the values of these responses suggests that the participants know that their body feels their need to get more sleep.

^{Source: Gallup}

The hours of sleep decreased significantly compared to 1942. ^{(Jones 2021)}

Americans currently average 6.8 hours of sleep at night as compared to 7.9 hours of sleep – that's down more than an hour from 1942.

The most evident part from this graph is there are significantly more people getting eight to nine hours of sleep in 1942 than in 2013. We also see that the number of participants who received 5 to 6 hours in 1942 is 11% and 18% less than those in 2013 on average. This means that for every 100 people, there are 29 more people who are getting insufficient sleep when comparing people in 1942 versus in 2013. ^{(Jones 2021)}   

^{Source: CDC - Data and Statistics - Sleep and Sleep Disorders}

That is simply a list of the top 5 increased risks of chronic diseases. There are plenty more concerning physical health.

Mental Health Risks

Sleep deprivation can also hinder you from thinking clearly and increases the odds of mental distress.

According to the visualization, the frequency of sleepiness affects what you feel or do. For participants that feel sleepiness five to seven days a week, over half of them reported experiencing irritability. There is such a huge increase in impact for people who feel sleepy on 0-1 days versus 2-4 days. The impact of mood and completing tasks increased by almost double. One thing for sure is that people who feel sleepy on more days seem to have more negative impacts on their daily lives. 

According to the CDC, people with inadequate sleep had almost a threefold increased odds of frequent mental distress compared with those who had sufficient sleep. ^{(Blackwelder 2021)} Furthermore, insufficient sleep can activate anxiety in people who are already predisposed to anxiety disorders and chronic insomnia. ^{(Suni 2021)} Other mental disorders such as seasonal affective disorder can also arise because the lack of sleep interrupts the circadian rhythm and changes their sleep pattern. ^{(Suni 2021)}

The worst part of it all is sleep and mental disorders intertwine. 

Once you start sleeping less, you may experience mental distress, which in turn causes you to sleep even less.

There is just a vicious cycle that would be difficult to break once you’re trapped.

But what about excessive sleeping?

If it’s every now and then where you sleep in on the weekend, that is totally fine. However, once you start sleeping more than nine hours regularly, the quality of your sleep should be re-evaluated. 

“Your body needs deep restorative sleep, and if that is not happening during the recommended 8 hours, your body will instinctively try to prolong the sleep period to obtain the quality of sleep it needs,” says Michele Roberge. ^{(Osmun 2021)}

Below is a list of potential risks associated with excessive sleeping from Amerisleep: 

- Cognitive impairment
- Depression
- Increased inflammation
- Increased pain
- Impaired fertility
- Higher risk of obesity
- Higher risk of diabetes
- Higher risk of heart disease
- Higher risk of stroke
- Higher all-cause mortality

Follow the clock:

- 0 up to 7 is not enough
- 7 up to 9 is the perfect amount
- More than 9 is excessive

Follow these 6 healthy sleeping habits to mitigate the health risks:

1. Stick to a sleep schedule 
2. Pay attention to what you eat and drink 
3. Create a restful environment 
4. Limit daytime naps 
5. Include physical activity in your daily routine 
6. Manage worries

Interested in learning more about promoting sleep hygiene? Click below to explore different topics: