About a quarter of adults studied admitted that poor sleep affects their daily activities. Alarmingly, only 21% of those reporting the symptoms of a sleep disorder believe they have a problem. Of greater concern is that 18% believe that if they had a sleep problem they would do nothing about it; simply assuming it would go away.

There are good reasons to hope it would go away. Sleep disorders have been shown to be a siginificant causative factor in:

Fatigue
Half of the adults studied said they were tired during the day. Only half reported having a good sleep nearly every night.
Relationship problems
More than one third of partnered adults in the study say that their partner's disturbed sleep causes some problem in the relationship.
Tardiness
22% report sleep-related issues as the most common reason people are late for work.
Accidents
60% of those studied who are licensed to drive say they have driven while drowsy in the past year. This translates to a worrying 115 million US drivers who have been sleepy at the wheel.

Also gleaned from the NSF study is the extent to which health conditions affect sleep. Adults with commonly diagnosed conditions such as high blood pressure, arthritis, heartburn, and depression say they rarely get a good night's sleep. Adults who are obese are over 5 times more likely to suffer from sleep apnea than an adult of average weight (57% vs 11%).

Our modern lifestyles are not helping. 11% report drinking alcohol to help them sleep, while 80% drink at least one caffeinated beverage a day, presumable to keep them 'awake'.

NSF is urging us to pay attention to how we sleep. If you think you have a sleep problem, consult your doctor.

To find out how SomnoMed can help you have a great night's sleep click here.

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