CDC: Sleep Deprivation Affects A Third Of Americans

ATLANTA -- More than a third of U.S. adults sleep less than seven hours a night, and many of them report troubles concentrating, remembering and even driving.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported the statistics Thursday in two separate studies.

In one study, about 35 percent of people surveyed in 12 states said they slept less than seven hours a night, on average.

The second study based on a national survey found about 23 percent said they had trouble concentrating because they were tired. Another 18 percent struggled to remember things, and 11 percent had difficulty driving or commuting.

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Comments

[pierre F Lherisson]

08:49 PM on 03/05/2011

Scientists don't really know the true reason why we sleep.
Some hypnologists suggest that people who sleep less than average make more money and are more successful but those hypnologists don't mention other variables that may be responsible for a reduction in sleep such as: psychological profile, body chemistry makeup or external factors. For example those that are in charge and benefit the most from an activity are eager to be there no matter how long they work such as business owner, certain students, manager, foreman and other; however, those that are at the receiving end of the deal will view their task as a painful burden and would prefers to spend some extra time in bed.
Excess or lack of certain chemical in the body such as iron and other substances might be responsible for the duration of sleep.
The usage patterns of cigarettes coffee, alcohol and certain foods and drugs or even the orientation of the bed to the magnetic poles might be contributing factors that influence sleep patterns
The Cancer Prevention Study II even showed that people with serious insomnia or who only get 3.5 hours of sleep per night, live longer than people who get more than 7.5 hours.
Other studies claimed that those that sleep more have longer life. It is hard sometime to formulate a sensible opinion when so many researches on a specific topic yield so many contradictory results; cancer is a case in point.

[GothamKnight33]

10:32 PM on 03/03/2011

I sleep around 5 hours a night and am fine. Almost never 7. And I've only slept more than 8 if I took xanax or something. My energy level is fine. I don't even drink coffee.

[mxytsplyk]

08:38 PM on 03/03/2011

Iʻve slept for 6 hours a night ever since I can remember. As long as I get 6 hours, Iʻm fine. Less and I wake-up tired, more and Iʻm lethargic all day.

[smi2le]

04:31 PM on 03/03/2011

Unfortunately CDC and organized medicine generally still refuse to acknowledge that allergies are a major cause of sleep disorders. Instead they prefe to focus on obesity which is now quite easy and relatively inexpensive to treat.

[Justin Stamper]

05:58 PM on 03/03/2011

Any resources or ideas on how I can get help for this? I have had bad allergies since moving to the South from the Western United States.

[KaraNee]

08:52 PM on 03/03/2011

First of all, you need to get tested. Then you can either get desensitized, which involves a schedule of shots, or you can use medication. My allergies are not horrendous, and I rely on OTC medicine when I need to. My mom went the allergy-shot route, and after a few years she swears that it has helped her tremendously. An allergist can prescribe medicine that is much more effective than the OTC stuff I use. I feel for you, though. I went to college in Louisiana and discovered I was allergic to trees that just don't grow in the NE. I almost transferred colleges. You really need to get tested to find out what exactly you are allergic to. Best of luck to you.

[frederickpdog]

04:28 PM on 03/03/2011

And they say we are lazy in america.