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How many hours of sleep do you get every night? Six? Seven? Eight? You may not get as much shuteye as you think you do. A study conducted at the University of Chicago Medical Center suggests that people not only sleep less than they should, but less than they think they do.
The study also revealed that blacks sleep less than whites, women sleep less than men and the poor sleep less than the wealthy. 669 middle-aged adults participated. They spent an average of 7.5 hours a night in bed. Of that 7.5 hours, they averaged only about six hours of sleep.
Study author Diane Lauderdale, Ph.D. said, "As we learn more and more about the importance of sleep for health, we find evidence that people seem to be sleeping less and less." Studies suggest that sleep is on the decline and has been since 1900.
For instance, studies from 1970 showed average sleep times closer to seven hours a night.
The study took its results from sleep diaries but also from wrist actigraphy that uses a motion sensor worn like a watch to measure when people go to bed and when they actually fall asleep. The results revealed an increased risk of sleep deprivation that can lead to both mental and physical health deterioration.
What are the reasons for this decline in sleep? Things like noise and light pollution contributed to keeping us awake. But the main factor is there are far too many distractions, too much on our minds. It's difficult to relax. Although the body may be ready or more than ready for sleep, the mind will not turn off. Thoughts and worries continue to churn, keeping us awake or following us into sleep causing restless sleep, nightmares and other disorders.
Possible solutions are relaxation CDs, meditation and other mind calming pursuits. We all need as much sleep as we can get, and lying in bed awake or caught on the verge of sleep and unable to drop off is not what we need.
