According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an average of 100,000 car crashes occur in America every year because of fatigued drivers (“On the Road”). In recent years, sleeplessness in America has been continuously increasing. The New York Times states that in 1942, almost 85 percent of us slept at least seven hours a night. Today, less than 60 percent of us do (Carroll). America faces a bleak future if people’s sleep habits do not change. Americans need more sleep, and in order to accomplish this we must educate people about the effects of sleep deprivation, including health and safety risks, and start changing our lifestyles to make more time for sleep.
Americans are not getting enough sleep, and this needs to change. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommends that adults between the ages of 18 and 60 years should sleep at least 7 hours every night in order to maintain optimal health and well-being (“CDC Newsroom”). Nowadays, everyone simply cannot attain a healthy sleep schedule while trying to keep up with their tightly packed schedules. A survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that one in three adult Americans regularly do not get this recommended amount of sleep (“CDC Newsroom”). This means that at least one third of the adults in America are not at their optimal health. According to NBC News, Arianna Huffington, the author of 15 books and a founder of a news site that sold to AOL for $315 million, 8 hours of sleep every night is her key to success (Tolin). Huffington says, “When I get eight hours, I feel ready to handle anything during the day without stress and without paying a heavy price in terms of my own health and my own mental well-being” (Tolin). Huffington uses her first hand experience to show how impactful sleep can be on one’s life. She is no different from us. We are all human, and evidently, sleep is a crucial factor when it comes to productivity and success. With all of these facts supporting the idea that sleep is critical in maintaining health and safety of people, it is clear that sleep deprived Americans need to get more sleep.
Raising awareness of the negative effects of sleep deprivation, implementing change, and promoting healthy sleep patterns are steps that will help resolve the sleep problem in America. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that most people are unaware of the amount of sleep they need, their level of sleep deprivation, and the negative impact of sleep deprivation on health (Perry). In a study of health care screening among 121 primary care clinics, only 43% included sleep-related questions in their screening processes (Perry). If we raise awareness about this issue, more Americans will pay attention to their sleep habits in an effort to save their healths. In 2002, only 10% of primary care providers described their knowledge of sleep and sleep disorders as good (Perry). We can start by educating healthcare providers about sleep so that they in turn can educate their patients about how sleep impacts the health, well-being, success, and productivity of a person. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that middle and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later to give students the opportunity to get the amount of sleep they need (“CDC Features”). We can implement change in school schedules so that schools start later in the day, allowing students to get the amount of sleep they need. If we implement a law that makes all middle and high schools around the country start after 9 am, this will give those students who stay up late an opportunity to get the recommended amount of sleep. According to a 2006 National Sleep Foundation poll, more than 87 percent of high school students in the United States are sleep deprived, which is detrimental to the healths of these developing teenage bodies (Richter). We must also place an emphasis on proper sleep in the education system, in the workplace, and in public settings through speeches, posters, and pamphlets.
If something is not done to change sleep deprivation in America, there could be detrimental consequences for you and your loved ones. Studies done by the National Sleep Foundation show that sleep deprivation can have the same effects on your body as drinking alcohol (“Drowsy Driving”). In fact, driving after being awake for 24 hours is like driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.10 (“Drowsy Driving”). To put this into perspective, a BAC of 0.08 is considered drunk (Drowsy Driving”). If people are not allowed to drive when under the influence of alcohol, there is no reason why they should be allowed to drive when they are sleep deprived. The victim of the next sleep deprivation related car accident victim could be a loved one in your life. Imagine that a drunk driver driving in the wrong direction on the highway comes into a head-on collision with someone you know, traumatizing everyone involved and creating life-threatening injuries. Driving while sleep deprived is not much different and could lead to the same end result. Do you really want to take that risk? On top of car accidents, sleep deprivation is especially harmful to the youth of America. The lack of sleep that students experience is a serious threat to students’ health, safety and academic success, as sleep deprivation could lead to ADHD, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts (“The Impact of Sleep”). If we do not do something to fix the sleep deprivation problem in America, the detrimental impacts on mood, memory, and health will result in higher death rates, poor well-being, and failure to reach our highest potential (“Health Risks”). In other words, our upcoming generation faces a bleak future. How can we not do something to change the sleep problem that is destroying the future of our beloved country? And finally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, sleeping less than seven hours per day is associated with an increased risk of developing chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and frequent mental distress (“CDC Newsroom”). If you want to see your parents grow old and want to watch your kids grow up, you should change your sleep habits and convince those around you to do so as well. These health problems will rapidly catch up to you and your loved ones if you do not implement a change in your sleep habits as soon as possible. If Americans do not fix their sleeping habits, consequences will come back to punish them, leading to complications and cutting their lives short. Clearly, only negative things result from having less sleep than needed.
It will take time for the sleep deprivation epidemic in America to change and improve, but there are many steps that you can take to help push America in the right direction. In order to get a good night’s sleep, you should avoid taking naps, drinking caffeine, or consuming alcohol late in the day. You should develop an exercise regime that allows you to constantly stay active throughout your week. You should also avoid drugs like nicotine completely, as they will disrupt the sleep cycle. Make your bedroom comfortable, develop a routine to help you relax before getting into bed, and avoid screen time right before bed. And of course, for all students, do not procrastinate doing homework until the last minute so you will not have to stay up late working on it (Simon). America is facing a very serious sleep problem, but taking these steps of action will improve the issue one individual at a time.
As you can see, a lack of sleep is a serious problem in our country. By educating healthcare providers, implementing schedule changes in schools, and raising awareness in other public settings, we will be able to decrease car accidents, better mental health, and improve overall health. Soon, America will be on its way to recovering from this dangerous sleep deprivation epidemic.