The National Sleep Foundation's 2020 Sleep in America Poll Shows Alarming Level of Sleepiness and Low Levels of Action
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he National Sleep Foundation's (NSF) annual Sleep in America poll shows Americans feel sleepy on average three times a week, with 62pc trying to shake it off as their primary response.
I have patients in my office every day who can't understand why they are always so sleepy, said Dr. Paul Doghramji, physician at the Collegeville Family Practice. It's concerning to see so many sleepy Americans with no plan other than to shake it off, Dr. Doghramji added.
Those who feel sleepy five to seven days a week report especially high rates of irritability (52 percent), headaches (40 percent), and feeling unwell (34 percent). Frequently, friends and family notice the effects of sleepiness including changes in mood and irritability before you do, said Dr. Temitayo Oyegbile-Chidi, Pediatric Neurologist, Georgetown University Hospital.
The Sleep in America poll found when people feel sleepy, more Americans say it's generally because they're not sleeping well enough (55 percent) as opposed to not having enough time to sleep (44 percent). Not getting the restorative benefit of sleep when you give yourself enough time for sleep could be a sign of other issues and should not be ignored, said Dr. Oyegbile-Chidi.
These data suggest that people continue to avoid sleepiness as a symptom, but disregarding persistent sleepiness is ill advised, said Dr. Patrick Strollo, Professor of Medicine and Clinical and Translational Science, University of Pittsburgh. Sleepiness isn't normal. If you experience routine sleepiness you should address it, added Dr. Strollo.
The NSF recommends 7-9 hours of sleep for adults aged 18-64 and 7-8 hours for older adults aged 65 and over. Characteristics of a good night's sleep include waking up feeling refreshed, alert, and able to be fully productive throughout your waking hours. The NSF's Sleep Health Index score - based on measures of sleep quality, sleep duration and disordered sleep - is worse among people who report having more sleepy days. In the 2020 Q1 Sleep Health Index, sleep quality, rated 64 on a scale of 0-100, was below average compared to prior Indexes.
We know from prevalence and longitudinal data that one third of the population is concerned over their sleepiness as it affects their lives and ability to perform their jobs, said Dr. Maurice Ohayon, Director of the Stanford Sleep Epidemiology Research Center.
There are simple and effective sleep tips to help you get a good night's sleep. Sticking to a sleep schedule, even on weekends, and practicing a relaxing bedtime ritual are great first steps. The easiest way to get started is to start tracking your sleep. There are many devices and apps available to help you sleep better.
✔️ The National Sleep Foundation's 2020 Sleep in America Poll Shows Alarming Level of Sleepiness and Low Levels of Action
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