Survey Finds Many Americans Often Feel Tired Due To Lack Of Sleep

Many Americans have been complaining of feeling extremely tired most of the time, prompting RestoreZ, a sleep supplement brand, to commission a survey to shed light on the matter. Unsurprisingly, the research showed that a lot of Americans believe their tiredness may have stemmed from lack of sleep.

Sleep Deprivation

In a survey involving 2,000 respondents, results showed the country’s sleep patterns play a huge role as to why most Americans feel very tired most of the time. Aside from the conclusion that people need more sleep each day, researchers also found those who suffer sleep deprivation perceive themselves differently in terms of behavior and mood changes.

Around 47% of the respondents believe their mood is affected when they are not able to get enough sleep, while 44% say it impairs their mental focus. More than 30% of those polled also claimed they seem to have lost their motivation and even performed poorly at work, South West News Service (SWNS) reports.

Lack Of Sleep Can Also Affect Relationships

Most of the participants say they feel their health may also suffer if they are not getting adequate amounts of sleep, with 32% believing their immunity may be affected. Approximately 23% of the respondents believe their lack of sleep led them to eat unhealthy food. More than just the physical health, 28% also claim sleep deprivation placed a great deal of stress on their marriage.

Results of the recent survey line up with findings from past studies, including one conducted by a sleep researcher from Johns Hopkins which studied the effects of sleep deprivation. The previous research found that sleep deprivation causes harmful effects on the brain and overall body health. It can also expose a person to unnecessary safety risks such as accidents that may happen due to a lack of focus caused by sleep deprivation.

Sleep Is An 'Expendable Luxury'

Other studies cited by Harvard suggest that lack of sleep can be detrimental, not only to physical and mental health but also to productivity. According to Dr. Orfeu Buxton, sleep may appear to be an expendable luxury to some. “But animal and human studies showing changes to immune function, metabolic function, and many other aspects of physiology, suggest that sleep is actually crucial for long life, and quality of life,” he said.

Dr. Buxton is a Harvard Medical School Associate Neuroscientist and Lecturer with the university’s Division of Sleep Medicine.