Poll: One-third of Americans losing sleep over economy

Special Report:Global Financial Crisis

WASHINGTON, March 2 (Xinhua) -- One-third of Americans are losing sleep
over the state of the U.S. economy and other personal financial concerns, a new
poll says.

The poll, released Monday by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), suggests
that inadequate sleep is associated with unhealthy lifestyles and negatively
impacts health and safety.

The number of people reporting sleep problems has increased 13 percent
since 2001. In the past eight years, the number of Americans who sleep less than
six hours a night jumped from 13 percent to 20 percent, and those who reported
sleeping eight hours or more dropped from 38 percent to 28 percent.

"It's easy to understand why so many people are concerned over the economy
and jobs, but sacrificing sleep is the wrong solution," said David Cloud, chief
executive officer of the Washington-based foundation.

"Sleep is essential for productivity and alertness and is a vital sign for
one's overall health," he added.

About 40 percent of Americans agree that sleep is as important as diet and
exercise to overall health and well-being; yet, only 32 percent of Americans who
report sleep problems discuss them with their doctor.

"Getting enough sleep every day is as important to your health as eating
healthy and being physical active," says Woodie Kessel, member of the poll task
force.

A lack of sleep is creating a major public safety problem as well -- drowsy
driving.

The poll found that more than one-half of adults (54 percent) --
potentially 110 million licensed drivers -- have driven when drowsy at least
once in the past year. Nearly one-third of drivers polled (28 percent) say that
they have nodded off or fallen asleep while driving a vehicle.

Two out of every 10 Americans sleep less than six hours a night. People
sleeping too few hours report being too tired to work efficiently, exercise or
eat healthy.

"With the economy worsening, we are seeing patients in our clinic who have
told us that they would not be returning for treatment because they or other
family members have lost their jobs, and they are concerned about costs," said
Meir Kryger, director of research and education at Gaylord Sleep Services in New
Haven.

"These patients may wind up far sicker. Sleep disorders are often
associated with other chronic diseases, like diabetes and hypertension, and they
can add complexity and even accelerate each other if untreated," he said.