Sleep, Sex, Safety... and the Value of a Good Siesta

Just got back from hiking up to the top of the island of Ischia. We started our hike at the beginning of siesta time, when everything in the little fishing port was closed and silent, and got back three hours later to find the village bustling with people, noise, and action. As if the Prince in Sleeping Beauty had laid a wet one on the whole island, breaking the spell and bringing it back to life.

Now I certainly don’t mean for this post to put you to sleep... but if it happens to make you a tad bit drowsy, that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

That's because, unlike our Italian hosts, there’s a pretty good chance you aren't doing enough of it. Sleeping, that is. And it may be killing you -- literally. And if you don’t care about that, it may also be killing your sex life.

The traditional mid-afternoon snooze is alive and well in Italy -- and, from what I could tell, was actually doing pretty well in France, too -- but it's apparently on the decline even in the country that invented it. Or at least named it.

According to a recent study, the formerly pro-siesta Spaniards are now working more hours than their counterparts in almost every European country.

Of course, work isn't a bad thing, but not getting enough sleep definitely is. And the U.S. is unfortunately leading the way when it comes to sleep deprivation.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that drowsiness causes 100,000 crashes a year in the U.S., killing 1,500 people.

And in a poll by the National Sleep Foundation (yes, there really is one), 75 percent of Americans report having sleep problems. And that's not all:

* Almost 30 percent of working adults say they have missed work and events, or made errors at work because of sleep deprivation in the past three months.

* Sleep problems have a ripple effect. When disturbed by a partner's sleep problems, you lose an average of 49 minutes of sleep a night -- that’s 300 hours a year! No wonder you have those bags under your eyes!

* America's adults average 6.9 hours of sleep each night, less than the seven to nine hours recommended by sleep experts (yes, there really are those too).

And here’s the one you’ve been waiting for:

* Nearly 25 percent of adults say they have sex less often or have lost interest because they are too sleepy.

So while I want you to read each and every blog on the Huff Post, after you’re finished, go straight to bed. It's a matter of life or death. Or at least sex or no sex.

Happy siesta!