“Sleep Adequacy is Key”
According to the National Sleep Foundation, many as one-third of Americans still don’t get enough sleep. A lot of people still believe a lot of common myths when it comes to getting shuteye. An estimated 50% of Americans watch television 30 minutes before going to bed. But this pre-sleep arousal has been shown to lead to sleep difficulties. We sleep for 1/3 of our lifetimes or about 24.9 years. All mammals and birds sleep. Insects appear to sleep, too. And, people who cannot sleep, die. Rats die after about 17 days of total sleep deprivation. Insomnia or sleep deprivation may be a risk factor for cancer, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, arthritis, and cataracts. Insufficient sleep has been linked to a wide variety of health problems, including pain, heart disease, and cancer. According to a 2007 British study, people who do not get enough sleep are more than twice as likely to die of heart disease. Getting less than seven hours of sleep increases the risk of weight gain and less than six hours leads to unclear thinking. People who have sleep apnea are at higher risk for motor vehicle accidents. Night-shift workers—who typically get less sleep and have lower sleep quality than day workers—are at higher risk for depression, diabetes, breast cancer, and all-cause mortality. Instead of getting more sleep, older adults actually tend to sleep less, in part due to health conditions. Habitual insufficient sleep can lead to metabolic, mental health, and immunological health consequences.
