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Sleep-Deprived Americans & What to Do About It

Apparently it’s even worse than we thought. As a recent CBS News report put it, our nation is “severely sleep-deprived.”

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that a third of Americans aren’t getting at least seven hours of sleep per night, the minimal amount recommended for adults by most experts.

A poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that 63 percent of women and 54 percent of men suffer from insomnia at least a few nights a week.

Women have it worse, thanks to hormonal regulation differences. Estrogen has a tendency to shorten the sleep cycle’s length. Yet while women are more likely to toss and turn and fight bouts of insomnia, men are more likely to have sleep apnea because they tend to have more fat deposited around their necks.

Either way, we can’t afford not to get good sleep—especially in this era of high-stress, fast-paced lives.

The notion “that we can power through or sleep when we’re dead” is an utter myth, the article quotes Dr. Charles Czeisler, chair of the National Sleep Foundation and director of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School, as saying. In fact, Dr. Czeisler added, “We’ll get there (death) faster if we don’t get enough sleep.”

Yikes. We know good sleep is crucial for good health. So what can we do to help ourselves toward a healthy night’s sleep every night?

  • Arm with an Alarm. You know how you wake up to that ringing, buzzing, chattering, whatever-the-noise annoying thing that forces you out of blissful slumber each morning? Well, how about a more calming one to alert you when to go to bed at night? Sleep researchers tell us that going to bed at the same time each night helps to regulate our circadian rhythms and promote healthy sleep habits. Being disciplined about bedtime can make being disciplined about waking a non-issue.
  • Soothe your soul. Keep your bedroom cool and dark, without those distracting, addicting, blue-light-exhibiting electronics. Practice a nighttime ritual, whether journaling, reading, talking to a friend or partner, or drinking a cup of tea, that helps you relax.
  • Go to the Mattresses. Seriously, we’re not making a “You’ve Got Mail” reference here. Go out and get yourself a good mattress. We’re not just saying this just because we sell them…we sleep on the mattresses we sell, and can vouch for the difference they make. A mattress that supports your body properly allows for more relaxed sleep, as your muscles don’t have to worry about holding taut to maintain your alignment. So whether you buy from us or from someone else, make sure your mattress is supporting your slumber well.

Sleep Tight, Urbanites!