Health: Sleep Deprivation Survey

NCERx recently asked people about their attitude toward, and awareness of, sleep deprivation. Over 4000 people, during a one-year period, responded to questions regarding the factors that affect their sleeping habits and their methods of obtaining a more restful night’s sleep. Only 19 percent of respondents suffered from a diagnosed sleep disorder however 74 percent of the total respondents indicated that they got less sleep than they felt they needed. 46 percent of those missed their requirement by 3 or more hours. Only 3 percent of the respondents felt they get more sleep than they need.

 

 

According to 65 percent of the respondents, the number one factor affecting sleep is stress, followed by 53 percent feeling that work or school left too little time for it. 38 percent suggested that the cause could be self-inflicted by drinking caffeine or alcohol too close to bedtime.

 

 

55 percent of respondents claimed to have tried some form of prescribed or over-the-counter medication to help them sleep whereas 52 percent seemed to have tried a hollistic approach using herbs, vitamins, meditation or a combination of these. 62 percent tried improving their diet and exercise routine as a had way to iimprove their sleep. Interestingly, of these over 90 percent indicated in a separate question that these habits were just as important as adequate sleep. Most staggering of all, however, was that over one-third of respondents (34 percent) suffer in silence and had never sought any treatment to help them sleep.

 

 

When asked about the impact of sleep deprivation on driving safety, 93 percent of respondents felt that driving while sleep deprived was as dangerous as driving while intoxicated. Another somber observation was that 29 percent of participants believe they themselves are driving dangerously when sleep deprived.

 

 

Although there are no absolutes in terms of hours of sleep required for a restful night’s sleep, it is generally accepted that most adults require between 7 to 8 hours. According to 79 percent of the respondents to this survey, they felt they required 8 or more hours per night to feel fully rested.

 

While most people seem to have a very honest understanding of sleep deprivation and the way it can affect their lives, NCERx’s survey found that with over a third of the estimated population not making strides to correct the condition, the impact of sleep deprivation on our society as a whole could be far greater than originally thought.