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SLEEPLESS
IN AMERICA
2002 "Sleep in America" poll finds sleep disorders on the rise in the US www.sleepfoundation.org A
random telephone sample commissioned by the National Sleep Foundation
between Oct. and Dec., 2001 with adults 18 and older found that, "73%
of respondents rated their quality of sleep as being good or better,
27% categorized it as fair or poor and 58% reported having experienced
at least one of the four symptoms of insomnia in the past year at least
a few nights a week: difficulty falling asleep,
waking up a lot during the night, waking up too early and not being
able to get back to sleep, and waking up feeling unrefreshed.
15% of respondents reported using a prescription sleep medication and/or
an over-the-counter sleep aid to help them sleep at least a few nights
a month, an increase from 11% in 2001. 37% reported that they are
so sleepy during the day that it interfered with their daily activities
a few days a month or more. 6% have taken medications to stay awake.
99% of respondents agreed that not getting enough
sleep can impair a person's performance at work, put a person at risk
for injuries or lead to health problems. 8% of respondents agreed
that not getting enough sleep can make it difficult
to get along with others. The less frequently people experience
daytime sleepiness and insomnia symptoms the more likely they are to
have a positive mood and attitude score. "Sleepiness,
whether the result of sleep disorders or sleep deprivation related to
shift work, school start times, or other social demands, has been identified
as a causal factor in a growing number of vehicular and on-the-job injuries.
Sleep deprivation is a growing problem for high school students (the
largest at-risk group for fall-asleep car crashes), parents, police
officers, and medical residents. The direct and indirect costs to the
United States economy due to sleep disorders and sleep deprivation are
estimated to exceed $100 billion each year."
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