Insufficient Sleep Is a Public Health Epidemic

Insufficient Sleep Is a Public Health Epidemic
Continued public health surveillance of sleep quality, duration, behaviors, and disorders is needed to monitor sleep difficulties and their health impact

Sleep is increasingly recognized as important to public health, with sleep insufficiency linked to motor vehicle crashes, industrial disasters, and medical and other occupational errors.¹ Unintentionally falling asleep, nodding off while driving, and having difficulty performing daily tasks because of sleepiness all may contribute to these hazardous outcomes. Persons experiencing sleep insufficiency are also more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, and obesity, as well as from cancer, increased mortality, and reduced quality of life and productivity.¹ Sleep insufficiency may be caused by broad scale societal factors such as round-the-clock access to technology and work schedules, but sleep disorders such as insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea also play an important role.¹ An estimated 50-70 million US adults have sleep or wakefulness disorder¹. Notably, snoring is a major indicator of obstructive sleep apnea….
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More Information

• Sleep and sleep disorders at CDC
• The National Sleep Foundation
• 2011 Sleep in America Poll
• The National Sleep Awareness Roundtable
• NBC Nightly News: Lack of Sleep Takes a Toll

CDC Podcasts

• Don’t Sleep While Driving
• No Rest for the Weary [PODCAST – 03:03 minutes]
• Don’t be a Night Owl [PODCAST – 05:18 minutes]

From the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web page

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• Interesting Facts About Insomnia (brighthub.com)
• Sleep HealthCenters Broadens Agreement with Faulkner Hospital (prnewswire.com)
• National Sleep Awareness Week Spotlights The Dangers Of Insufficient Shut-Eye (huffingtonpost.com)
• Importance of a Good Night’s Sleep (saabrintl.wordpress.com)
• Less-Than-Optimal Sleep May ‘Age’ the Brain (HealthDay May 1, 2011)
• The Importance of Sleep (Medical News Today, June 2011)
• Snoring And Sleep Disorders; A Dental Approach To A Major Public Health Issue (medicalnewstoday.com)
• Differences between obstructive and central sleep apnea (kevinmd.com)
• Is There a Link Between Sleep and Weight? (thelifestylechanger.wordpress.com)