Sleep disorders or insomnia of varying kinds has become a public health epidemic in today’s times. In this age of speed and high tech gadgetry we routinely come across incidents of motor vehicle crashes, planes going down, medical and other occupational errors, industrial accidents and such other things. In fact, such incidents have become very common these days. And a majority of such incidents are ultimately blamed on the state of sleepiness of the executor(s).
Sleeplessness makes us suffer from chronic diseases like hypertension, depression, diabetes, obesity and many more which reduce the quality of our lives and also result in life threatening situations.
Research has estimated that around 50 – 70 million of US adults are fighting various disorders related to sleep.
An analysis has determined that among the 74,571 adult respondents in 12 states, 25.3% reported less than 7 hours of sleep during a typical 24 hour period. 48% reported snoring. 37.9% reported unintentionally falling asleep during the day at least once in the preceding month, and 4.7% reported nodding off or falling asleep while driving at least once in the preceding month. (Ref: The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Survey, 2009).
Well, that’s something to be really worried about considering the actual number of persons out there suffering from insomnia, considering the fact that it is a very small number of states that has covered and the number of respondents is also on the lower side of the total adult population.
The number of hours of sleep per day varies from person to person and generally the requirements tend to go on the lower side as we add years to our age. The National Sleep Foundation suggests that school age children need 10 – 11 hours of sleep, teens need 8.5 – 9.5 hours of sleep and adults need 7 – 9 hours of sleep per day. However, the actual amount of sleep being taken varies too much. According to the data from the National Health Interview Survey around 30% of the adults disclosed that they are able to manage less than 6 hours of sleep per day. Only 31% of the high school students reported getting at least 8 hours of sleep on an average school night!
I am really getting frightened with these figures. But I have some more statistics to share with you:
- Today’s population sleeps 20% less than they did 100 years ago.
- More than 30% of the total population suffers from insomnia.
- Women are twice more likely to suffer from insomnia than men.
- One in every three people suffers from varying form of insomnia during their lifetime.
- More than half of us lose our precious sleep during times of anxiety and the resulting stress.
- Around 35% of the persons suffering from insomnia have a family history too for the same.
- More than 90% of the people who have depression also suffer from insomnia.
- Around 10 million of the US population use prescription aids to get sleep.
- 60% of the people have driven while feeling sleepy and out of these 37% admit to having fallen asleep while being at the wheel in the past one year.
- People suffering from insomnia are more susceptible in becoming overweight, 27% more to be precise.
- 90% of the people suffering from insomnia agree to the fact that they have difficulty in socializing too.
- You would be amazed to know that over 2 million children suffer from various sleep disorders.
Among those who were diagnosed with insomnia:
- 41% opted for a prescription.
- 18% opted for an over the counter medication.
- 70% remained untreated.
Besides the above medical and social stats, insomnia has severe financial implications too.
Hundreds of billions of dollars are annually spent on medical costs directly related to some kind of sleeping disorder.
Around a hundred thousand vehicle accidents are attributed to drowsy driving per year. This even results in the loss of an estimated 1500 lives every year, not to rule out the insurance payments resulting from such accidents.
Insomnia costs the US Government more than a whopping $15 billion per year in health care costs.
Employers also end up spending substantial amounts per year on employees suffering from insomnia. In fact, the actual figure come to around $3200 per year more on the insomniac employees than that spent on the better sleeping ones.
Insomnia also has huge repercussions on the industry sector due to absenteeism and loss of productivity. The industry sector loses approximately $150 billion per year due to this epidemic affecting the work force.
I think the above figures and statistics far from being mere indicators are more than enough for you to get the idea of the implications of the problems directly or indirectly related to insomnia. And you would find yourself better off by not being a part of such statistics. So starting from today, in fact from this moment itself, pledge yourself that you would not carry any stress on yourselves, keep anxiety at bay and therefore help yourself in finding a good and tight sleep; tonight and every night that follows.
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