The rough road to dreamland.

• Author: Breus, Michael J.
• Position: Sleep - Medicine & Health

"Sleep needs and patterns might be unique to each individual, but the typical thieves of restful slumber are not. "

SLEEP AFFECTS HOW we work, relate to other people, and make decisions, as well as how we feel. The idea that we need to "sleep on it" when faced with a big decision is scientifically proven. A Dutch study shows that people make "better" decisions by letting the "unconscious" mind during sleep chum through the options presented. We know that sleep helps us think better and stronger, as well as prepare our minds for optimal functionality, but getting a good night's rest is difficult for many.

Sleep as a topic has gotten a lot of attention recently--and for good reason. Inadequate amounts have been shown to create poorer health, obesity, lower productivity on the job (including the occupation of being a full-time parent), more danger on the roads, a less vibrant sex life, and a lower quality of existence.

Research is not the only thing alerting us to the dangers of sleep deprivation, as the results of a series of polls taken by the National Sleep Foundation demonstrate the extent of the issue. About 75% of Americans frequently have a sleep problem symptom, including repeated waking during the night or snoring, and 25% maintain that their daily activities are affected by this lack of sleep, and that includes sexual relationships in which respondents say they have been having less sex or have lost interest in sex entirely. Sixty percent have driven while drowsy in the past year, and about four percent have had an accident or close call because of drowsiness or actually falling asleep at the wheel.

On average, adults are sleeping 6.8 hours a night on weekdays and 7.4 hours on weekends. Twenty-six percent of adults say they have "a good night's sleep" only a few nights a month or less. On average, people maintain they need a minimum of 6.5 hours of sleep a night to function at their best during the day. In general, men report needing less (6.2 hours) than women (6.8 hours). On average, it takes about 23 minutes to fall asleep on most nights.

When an individual is suffering from a lack of sleep, reaction time and the ability to think clearly and quickly slow down. A person is more likely to make poor decisions, become irritable and moody, be low on stamina, and have a compromised ability to fight off disease and weight gain. A chronic lack of sleep may put individuals at greater risk for type 2 diabetes.

When you consider how much of your life depends on others making good decisions--physicians, industrial workers, pilots, air-traffic controllers, drivers, train conductors, presidents, world leaders, and so on--you soon realize that sleep deprivation is not just about you, but everybody.

Scientists only are beginning to understand disordered sleep and how to treat it. We sleep less today than...