Sleep Poll Won’t Change Anything

How many of you heard news this week about a new study in our sleepless society? It’s been all over the media: the National Sleep Foundation just released its 2008 Poll showing just how bad our sleep deprivation is getting. 

Americans spend about 9.5 hours a day cranking it out on the job and then an additional 4.5 hours of work at home. No wonder 32 percent of those surveyed say they only get a good night’s sleep a few nights per month.

A full sixty-five percent of us report experiencing a sleep problem, such as difficulty falling asleep, waking during the night, and waking feeling unrefreshed at least a few times each week; and nearly half of those people admit to having that sleep problem almost every night.

So it’s also no surprise that this is having a huge impact in our professional and personal lives.

We are falling asleep at work, nodding off ever so slightly while driving (yikes!), and losing interest in fun, pleasurable activities like sex. (Hey, if both partners are over-tired, at least there is no argument.)

This study should not have been too alarming. Anecdotal evidence alone proves it to be spot on. And the results are very similar to previous polls taken by the Foundation.

But we’re not learning how to prioritize sleep and do something about it.

I regret that this Poll’s impact, however big or small, it has had on people this week won’t last. You’ll read about it, think about it for a second, and then go back to doing what you’ve always been doing: too much. You say you’re juggling this and that, but does sleep even get included on that list?

How can we change this? When will we see evidence that people are claiming back their sleep, as well as their energy, youthful looks, sex lives, waistlines (yes, sleep does have a huge say in how many spare tires you carry around), wit, memories, and ability to learn new things?

Sleep plays an important role in all these things, but clearly no one is listening to the message. Just like no one is doing much to lose unhealthy weight and get into shape for the sake of a better, more fulfilling life.

As a society that prefers productivity over everything else, we are sadly moving toward being a fat, unfit, tired, and cranky nation. Will this ultimately affect our economy and global competitiveness? It wouldn’t surprise me. There must be a breaking point above which “productivity” halts because there’s only so much Starbucks the body can take.

The sad part about all this is that unlike other feats in our lives, gaining restful sleep—even if you’ve got insomnia or some other sleep disorder—is relatively easy to achieve with a few good habits. Good habits, though, are few and far between these days. And I’m not being a cynic. I’m being a (well-rested) realist.