Can You Afford Sleep? And Why is the Cost of Poor Sleep so High?

Sleep used to be one of those things that happen naturally. A somewhat drowsy feeling overcomes us, we hop into bed – eyes shut wide and sleep blankets us as we doze off. 

However, in this day and age – we seem to have unlearnt it. 

With a staggering approximate of 1 billion people suffering from some form of sleep disorder, you know were in trouble. Globally, health systems strongly believe sleep is the most important factor for overall health and wellbeing, even more than financial security. 

In spite of regular reminders on the importance of a good night’s sleep, our collective sleep habits are getting worse. The problem has become so serious that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called insufficient sleep a public health epidemic.

What’s more, women are found to have a 40% increased risk of developing insomnia in comparison to our male counterparts. Women’s circadian clocks work earlier than men’s by an hour, thus making them more inclined to fall asleep earlier and subsequently, wake earlier. 

So what happens when you mix poor sleep and chronic stress?  You get a concoction of chronic diseases that affects one both mentally and physically – what plagues us all now. 

The Cost of Poor Sleep

The World Sleep Society provides a summary on the most recent studies on sleep. Concurrently, demonstrating just how essential sleep is as a pillar of health and quality of life.

• Researchers at the Mayo Clinic Center for Sleep Medicine found that healthy sleep reduces the risk of a long list of health problems—including obesity, hypertension, depression, and Alzheimer’s.
• Insomnia affects anywhere from 30-45% of the adult population and costs the U.S. economy between $92.5 and $107.5 billion.
• Annually there are 71,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths due to sleep-related accidents.
• 46% of individuals with frequent sleep disturbances miss work or events, or make errors at work, compared to a rate of 15% for healthy sleepers.

But what’s interesting is what executives are doing to beat this. 

Japan has become notorious for a phenomenon called death-from-overwork.  Thanks to a labor shortage and long-held cultural beliefs of noble sacrifice for the corporate good – it claimed the life of an ad agency employee in 2015.  

Kazuhiko Moriyama believes otherwise.

For this reason,  he awards his employees who sleep at least six hours a night, for at least five days a week. His enterprise Crazy Inc. is a wedding organizer in Japan. Employees are rewarded with points which can be exchanged for food in the company cafeteria. It is worth as much as 64,000 yen ($570) per year. Nightly rest is monitored using an app made by Airweave Inc., a mattress manufacturer.

Proof that we can make sleep a priority and build routines that feed our vitality rather than depleting it. 

Good sleep practices

Good sleep hygiene is a critical element of getting quality sleep. Some of the essential principles include: 

• Set a regular bedtime and rise time
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, sugar and spicy foods 4-6 hours before bedtime
• Refrain from using digital devices as you approach sleep
• Eliminate distractions, noise and excess light from your sleep area
• Do not use your bed as a workstation 

When To See A Doctor?

After trying all the various self-help solutions but to no avail – especially when chronic insomnia is affecting your daily life and health, visit a sleep specialist. Do take stock of your sleep pattern. It helps in providing your doctor with well-documented information from a sleep diary.

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Tags

• adequate sleep
• Insomnia
• poor sleep
• sleep