|
Information from the 1993 report of the National Commission on Sleep Disorders
Research: Wake Up, America: A National Sleep Alert
The importance
-
Sleep is an essential biological need and is necessary in order to maintain
good physical and mental health.
A widespread epidemic
-
A range of sleep disorders and disturbances affects as many as one-third of all
American adults.
-
A substantial number of Americans, perhaps the majority, are functionally
handicapped by sleep deprivation on any given day. Most Americans consider the
impaired judgement that accompanies sleepiness a normal and unavoidable part of
everyday life.
An increasingly precious commodity
-
Over the past century we have reduced our nightly sleep time by 20 percent.
A compounding problem
-
Sleep loss accumulates from one night to the next as a "sleep debt." A modest
loss on a single night may produce a serious sleep debt when sustained over
several nights.
The dangers
-
Because individuals often do not recognize that they are sleepy, they seldom
guard against inappropriate sleep episodes, such as falling asleep at the wheel
or at work.
The social costs
-
The costs of a sleepy society include lost lives, lost income, disability, lost
educational opportunities, accidents and family dysfunction. The effects on
quality of life for millions of individuals and families are incalculable.
The fiscal costs
-
The Commission estimates that in 1990 sleep disorders and sleepiness cost the
United States a minimum of $15.9 billion in direct costs alone.
An overlooked health issue
-
Despite their pervasiveness and impact on our society, sleep-related problems
are not recognized as a public health issue.
-
When sleepiness is acknowledged, it is often mistakenly attributed to boredom,
an overly warm environment or a heavy meal; rarely is drowsiness linked to its
true cause – the quantity and quality of prior sleep.
A preventable problem
-
The consequences of sleep disorders and sleep deprivation, particularly errors
and accidents, must be regarded as preventable.
|