Latest Survey Shows We’re Not Getting Enough Sleep
Of course we all realize that sleep is not just necessary for refreshing us mentally, but is essential for our body to rejuvenate itself too. Which is why the latest survey (titled ‘Sleep In America’) carried out by the National Sleep Foundation, a non-profit organization of researchers, patients and facilities, might leave you amazed.
The annual poll calculates that American citizens get an average of just 6.7 hours of sleep a night during weekdays. Also, over the last decade, an increasing amount of us are getting less than 6 hours sleep a night, and the number who get at least 8 hours per night is decreasing as well.
Living in this non-stop, 24/7, around the clock world, it’s hardly a surprise that we sleep almost an hour and a half less a night than our grandparents did just over a hundred years ago.
Laid before us are many distractions that previous generations didn’t have. So, it’s not hard to see why sleep has moved down our priority list. The widespread use of technology like the internet, cell phones, Blackberries and other devices make it possible to be distracted when we should be sleeping.
Looking at another survey, the American Psychological Association, reported that 52% of 7,000 respondents were losing sleep during the night due to stress.
Of course failing to get sufficient sleep leaves the majority of us feeling irritable and drained, as well as burdening us with poor performance at work, subdued thinking skills and less than perfect judgment.
Most people can better their sleep quality though, by getting into a a regular sleeping routine. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day- this also applies to the weekend, vacations and holidays.
You should ensure that your sleeping space is relaxing, peacful and at a comfortable temperature. Do these things and you’ve a higher likelihood of getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep that you need.
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