Last year the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) declared insufficient sleep a public health concern. A third of Americans are not getting enough sleep and many more suffer from insomnia. New research from the National Safety Council finds 76% of us say we often feel tired at work and 43% are too tired to function.
Hoping that a Sunday sleep-in will make up for your lost sleep? Sleep experts say it doesn’t really work that way. While everybody reacts differently, the consensus is that you can pay off a sleep debt only somewhat within a short time frame (48 hours or so), but long-term it is harmful to your health. Lack of sleep impacts your cognitive performance, and chronic fatigue leads to a host of health problems.
Sleep deficit solutions include a healthy diet, managing stress, exercise, and a good sleep system. Especially if your toss-and-turn sleep is the result of an unsupportive mattress and pillow, it’s time to focus on better sleep quality before you can’t focus on work. That means being fitted for a good mattress, a mattress protector, quality sheets, and a pillow that offers proper support. If anyone of those is ill-suited to the way you sleep, it can throw off your spinal alignment and body temperature and make restful sleep difficult.
