Could you use a good night’s sleep? You are not alone.
We Americans tend to spend about a third of our lives in bed, but 164 million of us struggle to actually get to sleep. That’s right, more than two-thirds of us fail to get some serious shut-eye at least once per week. Sound familiar?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 36.5% of U.S. workers get less than seven hours of sleep. We do seem to be searching for solutions, though. In fact, Consumer Reports shares that 41% of people use over-the-counter sleep aids several times a week.
Meanwhile, according to the Sleep Foundation, only 1 in 10 Americans consider sleep to be their top priority over fitness, work, hobbies and social life.
That’s a lot of statistics — and not much sleep. If only the fix was easy. Far from it. More than 70 types of sleep disorders exist with the most common ones being insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, movement syndromes and narcolepsy.
Did you know humans are the only mammals that delay sleep? When other mammals are tired, they sleep. It works for my dog. Not so much for me. In my younger years, I enjoyed a Sunday afternoon nap while watching the Minnesota Vikings lose another close one on TV. Not anymore. Any sleeping after the noon whistle means this guy is up into the wee hours of the morning.
But what about the snoring thing? My wife tells me it’s a problem. Once again, I am not alone. In fact, nearly half (48%) of Americans ADMIT they snore, according to the American Sleep Association. Jolene has a two-part solution: a not-so-gentle poke and some clear advice to “roll over.” The dog gets a treat for rolling over. I get a bruise.
Admittedly, the fetal position does seem to subdue snoring. This may be why it is the most popular sleeping position with 41% of adults choosing to do so, compared to sleeping on the side (28%), lying on the back (8%), and lying on the stomach (7%), according to Sleep.org.
If you want to sleep better (and who doesn’t), try these tips: cool down your bedroom, get on a regular sleep schedule, turn off the electronics, avoid caffeine and read something that makes you relax. Then be ready to roll over.
Have a terrific Tuesday, and thank you for reading.
Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@dmcityview.com
641-755-2115