The State of the Nation Is Drowsy, Sleep Watchers Say

Americans are getting fewer hours of sleep and spending more time at work, resulting in a fatigued society that has less time to devote to family, social activities and sex, a study released Tuesday has found.

The average American gets less than the recommended eight hours of sleep per night, often resulting in drowsiness at work and behind the wheel, according to the annual poll by the National Sleep Foundation.

“Far too many adults still sacrifice sleep, which is unhealthy and counterproductive,” said Richard Gelula, the foundation’s executive director. “A good night’s sleep is a necessity, not a luxury.”

Fifty-three percent of 1,004 adults surveyed admitted that they “drive drowsy,” while 19% have actually fallen asleep behind the wheel. About 100,000 automobile accidents occur each year as a result of driving while drowsy, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates.

Job performance is sacrificed as well: 40% of those surveyed say they get sleepy on the job and their work suffers at least a few days each month, while 20% have trouble just staying awake at work.

“People may be getting enough sleep, but it is [happening] at school, at work and behind the wheel,” said foundation Vice President James C. Walsh.

Americans work longer hours than people in any other nation, according to the International Labour Organization, a United Nations agency. As a result, more than 40% of adults say they spend more time at work and less time sleeping than they did five years ago.

“There is a direct relationship between hours worked and its negative impact on sleep,” Walsh said. “This is particularly noticeable for people working more than 40 hours per week.”

Although the average person spends 46 hours per week at work, more than one-third said they worked more than 50 hours each week. Work was also the only activity that people devoted more time to than they did five years ago.

“The more time you spend at work, the less sleep you obtain,” Walsh said.

Social and sex lives have also taken a back seat to work. One-third of the respondents said that, if pressed for time, they would be less likely to give up job-related work than sleep, leisure activities and sex.

Fifty-two percent of those surveyed said they spent less time having sex and attending organized social activities than they did five years ago.

Sleep-deprived people “are going to be de-energized, they are not going to feel any initiative, and that’s going to translate to a person’s sex life,” Gelula said.

People who are married with children got the least amount of sleep--only 6.7 hours per night. The same group had the most sleeping problems and occurrences of daytime drowsiness out of those surveyed.

The survey said that nearly 70% of adults have frequent sleeping problems. Common problems include insomnia, sleep apnea (breathing problems during sleep) and restless leg syndrome, which causes muscle spasms that make it difficult to sleep.

In order to fall asleep, 87% of Americans said at least a few nights a week they spend the hour before bedtime watching television.

Sleep deficit can contribute to a shortened life span. The study found that mortality rates are lower for people who get an adequate amount of sleep each night than for those who only sleep six to seven hours.

The Washington-based foundation is using the poll results to promote the importance of adequate sleep during National Sleep Awareness Week, which runs through Sunday.

The effort is supported by a variety of corporate sponsors, including bedding manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies.