It’s around 2 or 3 in the morning, isn’t it? You’re still up tossing and turning, so the first thing you do is pull out your phone, and Google “can’t sleep”. You click on a page about insomnia and find symptoms for sleep disorders:
Maybe this is you, maybe it's not. But either way, here is some quick advice. Turn off your phone, get a cold drink of water, maybe take a quick stroll around the block, and go back to bed.
The blue light from your device is only keeping you up. You can finish this article tomorrow, and please do! It might have some useful data for you. But get some rest, you deserve it!
Now, if you're still reading, hopefully, you picked this article up during the day, or you ignored me. Which is fine, you don’t know me. Either way, here are 10 facts that you may not have known about sleep disorders among our population (adults & children).
Acute and chronic insomnia are the two most common types of condition that people are diagnosed with.
Insomnia is the most common sleeping disorder in our population. This is how many people suffer from the disorder.
Women are twice as likely to suffer when compared to men. Experts say that a variety of hormones likely play a role in poor sleep quality. Here are some other statistics relating to women’s health and sleeplessness that are noteworthy.
“The rate of insomnia is approximately 12.6% at the beginning of pregnancy, increasing as the pregnancy progresses up to 73.5% in some women.” — Obstetric Medicine [4]
“Insomnia occurs in 40–50% of women population during the menopausal transition.” — Dr. Pronob K. Dalal [5]
Children and teens potentially need more rest than adults. This disorder can be troubling for them as well as their parents.
“Approximately 25% of children experience difficulties with some aspect of sleep.” — Jennifer Vrien, Ph.D. and Penny Corkum Ph.D [6]
“Insomnia symptoms during adolescence were a significant risk factors for depression diagnosis in young adulthood…” — Brandy M. Roane, MS and Daniel J. Taylor, PhD [7]
There is a strong link between sleeplessness and certain substances like caffeine, alcohol, and even nicotine. These have causation that can run both ways. Example, this disorder can cause addiction versus the addiction causing restless nights.
Binge drinkers have 35% higher chances of insomnia than non-binge drinkers. — John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health [9]
“A moderate dose of caffeine at bedtime, 3 hours prior to bedtime, or 6 hours prior to bedtime each have significant effects on sleep disturbance…” — Medical Professionals from Sleep Disorders & Research Center, Henry Ford Hospital [10]
As adults continue to get older, they often struggle to get the shut-eye they need.
“More than half of men and women over age 65 complain of at least one sleep problem. Many older people experience insomnia and other sleep difficulties on a regular basis.” — Cleveland Clinic [12]
The findings show that sleep deprivation in some form is present among most psychiatric disorders. The question remains for many suffering with these conditions, which came first, sleeplessness or the psychiatric disorder?
“65% to 90% of adult patients with major depression, and about 90% of children with this disorder, experience some kind of sleep problem.” — Harvard Health Publishing [13]
“People with insomnia were 20 times more likely to develop a panic disorder (a type of anxiety disorder).” — Harvard Medical [13]
Sleep deprivation takes a heavy toll on work, and the economy. Research shows that getting less than 8 hours of rest per night takes a large chunk of money from workers and employers alike.
“Insomnia is costing the average U.S. worker 11.3 days, or $2,280 in lost productivity every year. “ — American Academy of Sleep Medicine [14]
As a nation, the total (insomnia) cost is 252.7 days and $63.2 billion.” — American Academy of Sleep Medicine [14]
Blue collar laborers are 2x more likely to face insomnia. These findings become even more severe for people who work the night shift. [15], [16]
Both sad and scary, but severe conditions can lead people to death, so if this sounds like you: listen up!
“In 2010, hypnotics (sleep medication) may have been associated with 320,000 to 507,000 excess deaths in the USA alone.” — Daniel F Kripke, M.D.; Robert D Langer, M.D; Lawrence E Kline, M.D. [17]
In the ’80s, a 53-year-old man who had progressive insomnia was put into a coma after 9 months of symptoms. He died shortly after. — The New England Journal of Medicine [18]
“Persistent insomnia linked to 58% higher risk of death.” — Catharine Paddock Ph.D. [19]
You can’t blame your parents for everything not going well in your life, but this one might be partly their fault. The data shows people's ancestor may have passed their restless nights onto them. Here’s how.
Two separate studies conclude that over one-third of insomnia population cases have a family history of sleep disturbances. — Medical Experts from Université Laval in Québec, Canada [20]
Scientist have found 7 genes associated with insomnia. — Researchers from Vrije Universiteit (VU) in Amsterdam in the Netherlands [21]
Get More Info: Insomnia May Be in Your Genes
Oh sleep, Oh gentle sleep,
Nature's soft nurse How have I frighted thee?
That though no more will weigh mine eyelids down
And sleep my senses in forgetfulness?
Henry IV, William Shakespeare
Acute and chronic cases of sleeplessness can be serious factors for so many people. It can take a heavy toll, leaving a serious impact on performance and your life in general. If you think your problem may be chronic, consult your doctor to begin your path to recovery. Hopefully, you can find the rest you need and deserve.
Have insomnia and want to improve your sleep experience? Consider exploring our top picks for the best mattresses for insomnia.
[1] Insomnia, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
[2] Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Insomnia, National Center for Biotechnology Information
[3] Insomnia, Medscape
[4] Insomnia and sleep deficiency in pregnancy, Obstetric Medicine
[5] Postmenopausal Syndrome, National Center for Biotechnology Information
[6] Clinical Management of Behavioral Insomnia of Childhood, National Center for Biotechnology Information
[7] Adolescent Insomnia as a Risk Factor for Early Adult Depression and Substance Abuse, National Center for Biotechnology Information
[8] Children’s Sleep Quality Linked to Mothers’ Insomnia, Warwick
[9] Binge Drinking and Insomnia in Middle-aged and Older Adults: The Health and Retirement Study, National Center for Biotechnology Information
[10] Caffeine Effects on Sleep Taken 0, 3, or 6 Hours before Going to Bed, National Center for Biotechnology Information
[11] Insomnia in Adults: The Impact of Earlier Cigarette Smoking from Adolescence to Adulthood, National Center for Biotechnology Information
[12] Sleep and Aging, Cleveland Clinic
[13] Sleep and Mental Health, Harvard Health Publishing – Harvard Medical School
[14] Insomnia Costing U.S. Workforce $63.2 Billion a Year in Lost Productivity, Study Shows, American Academy of Sleep Medicine
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