Important Sleep Statistics

The human body is an intricate machine that works continuously; with the only opportunity for rest and regeneration occurring during sleep. Statistics show that restful sleep has a deep impact on our overall health and wellbeing.

Sleep is an automatic, simple yet complex process; one which researchers and scientists have tried to unravel for centuries. The obvious fact about sleep is known; it offers a recuperation time for the body after a full day’s activities. But they also know that our frame of mind and our psyche are affected through sleep, although it isn’t known exactly how. In their attempts to determine how humans are affected through sleep, a number of other statistics have been derived that provide answers to many questions.

Sleep Facts

In a survey conducted in 2002, it was estimated that approximately ¾ of all Americans do not get adequate sleep.
A study conducted by the University of California that involved over one million adults found that there is a distinct correlation between the amount of sleep and the mortality rate. In this study, it was discovered that those who habitually slept more than 8 hours each night had a greater death rate than those who slept only five hours per night. The study offered that seven hour sleep duration times could be the ideal sleep length when considering longevity.
Slightly over 15% of the human population is known to sleepwalk. It is unknown if this figure would increase were all people who sleepwalk were to seek treatment.
One in every ten men suffers from sleep apnea; a condition in which an individual actually stops breathing while sleeping. About 50% of these people have Type 2 diabetes.
Approximately 500,000 automobile accidents are thought to be attributable to sleep apnea.
It is estimated that around 40% of heavy truck accidents occur due to driver fatigue.
Over 50% of people admit to having difficulty sleeping at least a few times each week, while about 1/3 of adults confess that they have problems sleeping every night.
Parents who have small children sleep on average one hour less per night than those with no children.
Sleep deprivation is the cause of numerous health problems, including heart disease, depression, suppressed immune systems, obesity, fatigue, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Stress is a leading cause of sleep deprivation. Women suffer more from lack of sleep than men by about 10%.
Losing four hours of sleep in one night is comparable to having a blood alcohol level of 0.1% in response times.
It is believed that if individuals were to habitually receive full, restful nights of sleep, alarm clocks would be unnecessary accessories. Currently, it is estimated that about half of the population rely on alarm clocks to wake on time each morning.
Over 40% of individuals say that their normal daytime activities, including work, are negatively affected by daytime sleepiness.
There are five stages of sleep. Stages one through four slows our brain waves to prepare us for the final fifth stage which is called REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. At this stage, our breathing quickens and the eyes move rapidly underneath closed eyelids.
Mental recall, thinking, verbal learning and even speech are negatively impacted through lack of sleep.

These sleep statistics should be enough to convince us that getting adequate restful sleep is a priority in our lives. Besides our health being adversely affected when lack of sleep occurs on a regular basis, our mental and emotional capacities are also impacted. Though scientists still struggle to determine exactly why and how duration of sleep affects our everyday life, our bodies take the initiative and act by feeling drowsy and inducing beneficial sleep.