By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    physical health
    5 Ways Playing Games Can Improve Neural and Physical Health
    September 9, 2022
    Reasons For Hair Loss and Its Treatment
    Reasons For Hair Loss and Its Treatment
    February 16, 2022
    healthcare organization
    5 Actionable Strategies For Healthcare Organizations
    August 15, 2022
    Latest News
    7 Most Common Healthcare Accreditation Programs: Which Should You Use?
    August 20, 2025
    Hospital Pest Control and the Fight Against Superbugs
    August 20, 2025
    Hygiene Beyond The Clinic: Attention To Overlooked Non-Clinical Spaces
    August 13, 2025
    5 Steps to a Promising Career as a Healthcare Administrator
    August 3, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    4 Reasons Chris Cornell’s Death Raises Medical Ethics Questions
    December 19, 2018
    What If You Could Sell Your Vote?
    August 24, 2017
    The Sleepy American
    September 12, 2017
    Latest News
    How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
    August 22, 2025
    How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
    August 22, 2025
    How One Fall Can Lead to a Long Road of Medical Complications
    August 22, 2025
    How IT and Marketing Teams Can Collaborate to Protect Patient Trust
    July 17, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: The Sleepy American
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Public Health > The Sleepy American
Public Health

The Sleepy American

GlennLaffel
GlennLaffel
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

Sleep deprivation has been linked to motor vehicle accidents, industrial accidents and medical errors. It has also been linked to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, depression, anxiety, reduced problem-solving capacity, memory lapses, an increased risk for the common cold and even premature death.

Recent data published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, while not cutting new ground in this area, has helped to quantify the extent of the problem among Americans, as well as its impact on car crashes. The news is not good.

According to the CDC report, between 50 and 70 million US adults suffer from chronic sleep deprivation and related disorders. Those estimates came from a study which found that 35% the nearly 75,000 adult participants in a 12-state sleep study reported getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night. Nearly 40% of these people claimed to doze off inadvertently at least once a day.

Furthermore, people who averaged less than 7 hours were more likely to nod-off while driving a car. Overall, nearly 5% of respondents said they had fallen asleep while driving during the last year. According to the CDC, this phenomenon causes 1,550 highway deaths and 40,000 injuries per year.

More Read

Leveraging Health IT to Strengthen Patient Engagement
Obamacare “Is a Hacker’s Dream”
What is Killer Number 1 ?
Selling Insurance Across State Lines
The Future of E-Cigarettes in the World of Public Health

The numbers are probably higher than this, according to Allan Pack, who directs the Center for Sleep at University of Pennsylvania. “Most of us believe that there are a lot more fall asleep crashes than reported,” he said in an interview. “It’s probably not reported accurately because a number of states don’t even having a ‘falling asleep while driving’ tick in the box when reporting a car crash.”

“I’m not sure that people understand the biology of all this,” Pack added. “I think people believe that if they cut back on their sleep there is no real consequence. Everyone knows the dangers of alcohol, but I don’t think people understand the dangers of drowsy driving.”

Sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality can be caused by bona fide sleep disorders like chronic insomnia, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy, anxiety, depression or sleep apnea. They can also be caused by alcohol and stimulants, as all too many of us are aware.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adults should get 7-9 hours of sleep per day, and school-age children probably need 10-11 hours of sleep per day. The CDC study tells us that 7-9 hours of sleep is not just a luxury; it’s a necessity.

TAGGED:sleep deprivation
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

travel nurse in north carolina
Balancing Speed and Scope: Choosing the Nursing Degree That Fits Your Goals
Nursing
September 1, 2025
intimacy
How to Keep Intimacy Comfortable as You Age
Relationship and Lifestyle Senior Care
September 1, 2025
engineer fitting prosthetic arm
How Social Security Disability Shapes Access to Care and Everyday Health
Health care
August 20, 2025
a woman explaining the document
How a DUI Lawyer Can Help When Your Future Health Feels Uncertain
Public Health
August 20, 2025

You Might also Like

The Importance of Laughter in the Workplace

March 22, 2012

Engaging Specialty Practices in the Patient Centered Medical Neighborhood

March 24, 2013
Health careHome HealthPublic HealthWellness

Will the Foodie Movement Reduce Chronic Diseases With Millennials in the Future?

April 30, 2018

Personalized Prevention, Part III: Applying the Model to Obesity

April 3, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?