What Dreams May Come

Americans face many health risks.  Overindulge at Pie Parties, diabetes could become an issue.  Spend too much time in the sun, skin cancer might develop.  Sleep deprivation leaves people less responsive to stimuli, making nearly every activity more dangerous.  Fortunately, there is a remedy for the last issue, more shut-eye.

According to a study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), Americans are improving their sleep habits.  The agency studied 25,000 Americans from 2003 through 2017.  Those volunteering for the study logged and timed their activities (including sleep) throughout the day.  With a healthy dose of the good ol’ American can-do spirit, each year they recorded an average gain of one minute of sleep.  By the time the BLS wrapped up the research, the average American was getting eight hours and 48 minutes of sleep every night.

This level of sleep should put the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at ease.  In 2014, they declared sleep deprivation to be a national epidemic. Their research suggests human nervous systems need seven hours of relative inactivity, less than the nation’s average as determined by the BLS.  Americans now appear to have ample time to sleep, perchance to dream. Aye there’s the rub.  Sleep is not evenly distributed.  Only about half of the nation is getting between eight and ten hours of rest each night.  Roughly 12.5 percent sleep fewer than seven hours while nearly the same amount are getting over 11 hours.  That means millions of Americans are…yawn…susceptible to the concerns…yawn…of the CDC, continuing to keep researchers up at night.