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Lack of Sleep Takes a Toll on Emotional and Physical Well Being
Are you getting enough sleep? Most of us are not, and it’s taking a toll on our overall health. Over the last century, we’ve gradually reduced the average amount of time we sleep. It used to be that people regularly slept 10 hours a night! Now, according to the 2008 National Sleep Foundation (NSF) Sleep in America poll, today Americans average 6.9 hours of sleep on weeknights and 7.5 hours per night on weekends.(1)
The poll also found that 74 percent of adults are experiencing a sleeping problem a few nights a week or more, 39% get less than seven hours of sleep each weeknight, and more than one in three (37%) are so sleepy during the day that it interferes with daily activities.
The main culprit for this change is work. We continue to increase the amount of time we spend at work each week, reducing the time we have for anything else. Leisure time continues to shrink as we take care of the obligations of job and household. We’re more likely to put family and friends ahead of sleep, so we suffer through a near constant state of sleep deprivation on most days.
The Sleep-Stress-Illness Connection
All of this means less sleep and more stress. Stress has been shown to be the leading cause of sleeplessness, which can lead to illness. According to a new survey of approximately 2,000 people conducted by the Better Sleep Council (BSC), 51 percent of adults say stress disturbs their sleep2. Our mood can also be affected by the seasons and the change in light. For some people, darkness brings more than seasonal gloom. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is sometimes called 'winter depression'. Depression can also increase stress and affect our immune system, making us more prone to illness in general, which in turn negatively affects our sleep.
If all that weren’t enough, millions of people suffer from sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which further degrades sleep quality. OSA is a common yet serious condition in which an obstructed airway causes repeated cessations in breathing during sleep, up to hundreds of times a night. OSA is associated with some pretty serious health consequences, such as heart disease and stroke, not to mention daytime sleepiness and car accidents. The result of poor sleep can be a vicious cycle of stress, sleeplessness and illness that can affect all aspects of your life.
Fortunately, effective treatment is available for sleep disorders, and it can dramatically improve sleep quality and your overall quality of life. Dr. Avi, Director of the Aviisha Medical Wellness Institute says, “It’s important to remember that improving the quality of your sleep can have a major impact on your stress levels, your immune system, your mood, and your ability to function at your best at all times. While we can’t always control the stressors in our lives, getting tested and treated for sleep apnea is something we can all do to sleep and feel better.”
