Daylight Saving Time may have you feeling a bit groggy from losing an hour this past weekend and shifting daylight from morning to evening, but the truth is that Americans may be getting less sleep now than ever before. CNN reported that the average amount of sleep people get per night has decreased.

The primary culprit? Living in a 24/7 instant connection world. The Internet is available virtually everywhere and to anyone with a mobile phone. Email and social network sites make it easy to reach friends, family, and complete strangers in a matter of seconds.

Stress from the economy is also contributing to more tossing and turning at night. People may also be working longer hours, contributing to sleep loss. Other distractions like television are also keeping people out of bed for longer amounts of time.  

Light pollution, such as increased street and parking lot lights, store signage, animated billboards, and other forms of artificial light during the night, can make it harder to fall asleep. Noise pollution, such as air craft and other motor vehicles, can also lead to sleep disturbance. Neighbors are also likely to stay awake later and longer, leading to additional noise and light disturbance.

Sleep deprivation can have devastating effects on the mind and body. According to US News, skimping on sleep can lead to depression, anxiety, alcohol abuse, increased blood pressure and cardiovascular problems, obesity, diabetes, and lower life spans in generally.

Adults suffering from sleep deprivation are more likely to be involved in a traffic accident, while older adults may lose balance and suffer more falls. Children with sleep deprivation are more prone to hyperactivity and attention deficit disorders.

Feeling Bitter about lack of sleep and its potential implications on your health? Stayed tuned for The State of Sleep, Part II for some Sweet advice for increasing the amount of sleep you get each night (and maybe ward off some of that insomnia).

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 11th, 2009 at 5:05 am and is filed under Bitter/Sweet, The State of Sleep. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.