America is one of the most sleep-deprived countries in the world. According to a recent survey from the Phillips Center for Health and Well-Being, 37% of Americans feel that they do not get enough sleep. Lack of sleep can interfere with people’s lives and undermine people’s physical and mental health in numerous ways.

When people are sleep deprived they are more likely to have car accidents, get sick, suffer from high blood pressure, depression, anxiety and other ailments. Sleep deprivation also is linked to poor job performance, since people’s memory and mental sharpness is impaired when they don’t get enough shut-eye.

Read the full post on Americans are sleep deprived. Here are tips for getting more sleep..

A survey by the National Sleep Council showed that teenagers get as little as four hours of sleep a night, staying up late to watch television, use the computer or engage in social media. Results indicated that one in three secondary school students survives on short bursts of “junk sleep” and shows up exhausted for school the next day.

Experts have linked poor quality sleep with weight gain and poor performance at school. 30% of teenagers surveyed were found to get only four to seven hours of sleep a night, with 40% responding that they felt tired during the day.

Read the full post on Teenagers Sleep Impacted by TV, Computers, Social Media.

A recent study concluded that getting too little or too much sleep during the first trimester of pregnancy may increase a woman’s risk of developing elevated blood pressure and its related complications in later pregnancy. Pregnancy-induced high blood pressure is a symptom of preeclampsia. Left untreated, preeclampsia increases a woman’s risk for life-threatening eclampsia during pregnancy.

The study included reports from over 1,200 pregnant women. Women who got less than five hours of sleep per night were almost 10 times more likely to develop preeclampsia.

Read the full post on Too Little or Too Much Sleep in Early Pregnancy May Raise Preeclampsia Risk.

Regular aerobic exercise improves the quality of sleep, mood and vitality, according to a small but significant study from Northwestern Medicine. The study examined the effects of aerobic exercise on middle-age and older adults with a diagnosis of insomnia. The results achieved resulted in more dramatic improvement than pharmacological intervention, which is good news as the taking of few drugs allows for less potential negative interactions with medications that a person may already be taking for other health conditions.

Read the full post on Aerobic Exercise Improves Chronic Insomnia.

A study recently published in the journal Sleep noted an increased mortality risk in men who have insomnia with objective short sleep duration, and the risk is greater than previously estimated.

1,741 men and women randomly selected from central Pennsylvania were studied in the sleep laboratory and Pennsylvania State University and followed-up for 14 years. Insomnia was defined as subjects having a complaint of insomnia for at least a year. Additionally, subjects were divided into groups of “normal” or “short” sleep duration (more or less than six hours of sleep a night). When adjusting for other health conditions, it was found that male insomnia sufferers in the “short” sleep duration group had a 21% higher mortality rate! Insomnia and short sleep was not associated with an increased mortality rate in women. This research shows how important it is for people with insomnia, especially men, to get treatment for their condition.

Read the full post on Insomnia and Increased Mortality Rates.

A 2006 study found that most 6th – 12th grade students don’t get enough sleep, so with that in mind here are some back to school sleep tips from the National Sleep Foundation.

- About two weeks before the start of school, work on returning your child to a sleep schedule that is appropriate for school.
- Maintain this sleep schedule once it is set – don’t use weekends to catch up on sleep.
- Establish a quiet and relaxing routine before it is time to go to bed.
- Limit electronic device use (television, video games, texting) before bedtime.
- Avoid big meals just before going to sleep.
- Limit caffeine use six hours before going to sleep.
- Maintain a sleep-conducive bedroom environment. Keep the room dark with a comfortable mattress and proper temperature settings (mid to upper 60s).
- Be a role model for your child and follow appropriate sleep guidelines yourself.

Read the full post on Sleep Tips for Back to School.

A study published in SLEEP found that sleep-deprived women are at greater risk for developing cardiovascular disease than men. The study consisted of 4,300 participants, and women who slept five hours or less displayed an increase in proteins associated with cardiovascular disease.

The lead author of the study stated that, “Short sleep is associated with an increase in cardiovascular risk and that association between sleep duration and cardiovascular risk factors is markedly different in men and women.” So, it’s important to get your sleep, especially if you’re a woman.

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A recent study from Boston University’s school of medicine found that obstructive sleep apnea is linked to an increased risk of heart failure and coronary heart disease in middle-aged and older men. 1,927 men and 2,495 women over 40 were monitored for the study.

“Men with obstructive sleep apnea were 58% more likely to develop new congestive heart failure over eight years of follow up compared to men without sleep apnea,” stated Daniel Gottlieb, the study’s author. He continued, “There is a lot of undiagnosed sleep apnea, and that, at least in men; it is associated with the development of coronary heart disease and heart failure. Only about 10% of sleep apnea cases are diagnosed”

Read the full post on Sleep Apnea and Heart Disease Linked in Older Men.

Here are a few numbers recently reported by the National Sleep Foundation:

Read the full post on America’s Poor Sleep Habits.

• 6.9. American adults average only 6.9 hours of sleep a night – less than the 8 hours recommended by most sleep experts.
• 75. That’s the percentage of adults who say their partner has a sleep-related problem. Snoring is the most common complaint, which can be a symptom of sleep apnea.
• 25. Sleep problems affect 25% of American adults in a negative way. While most adults don’t use any sleep aid, 11% say they use alcohol to help them relax. Another 9% use over-the-counter sleep aids and 7% say they use prescription medication.

While you may be able to tolerate less sleep as an adolescent without immediately noticeable side effects, recent research shows that adults who lack a consistent good night’s sleep can speed up their aging process. In the November 2009 issue of the journal Aging, it was noted that lack of sleep decreases your ability to handle stress, increases neurological and motor deterioration and ultimately shortens your life.

Natraj Krishnan, a research associate at Oregon State University, commented, “This study suggests that young individuals may be able to handle certain stresses, but the same insults at an older age cause genetic damage and appear to lead to health problems and earlier death. And it’s linked to biological clocks.”

Read the full post on Don’t Want to Look So Old? Get More Sleep!.