Study Finds 87 Percent of US Adults Have Trouble Sleeping
Nine out of 10 American adults have problems falling asleep, according to a recent survey by Vicks. The study found that 87 percent of respondents say that they have experienced trouble when it comes to their nighttime rest.
A survey commissioned by Vicks was released on June 14, and the results show that more than half of American adults reported trouble falling asleep. In an online study implemented by Harris Poll in December 2016, 2,000 U.S. adults were surveyed to learn more about current trends in sleep and health issues.
Sixty-seven percent, or about two-thirds of respondents, say that they have problems falling asleep at least once a month. Almost half, or 47 percent, report that they have trouble with their sleeping habits at least once a week.
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Falling asleep is not the only problem U.S. adults experience, as they also have trouble getting enough sleep. A study by SleepScore labs shows that 79 percent, or nearly eight out of 10, people try to get by with less than seven hours of sleep per day.
Health experts have always advocated the health benefits of getting enough sleep every day, and they recommend exercise as a part of the daily routine to improve bedtime habits.
Kelly Glazer Baron, the clinical psychologist at Rush University, explained how exercise can improve sleeping habits, and in turn, the mental outlook of people. "There has been more and more research in the last decade showing exercise can reduce insomnia," Baron said.
"In one study we did, for example, older women suffering from insomnia said their sleep improved from poor to good when they exercised. They had more energy and were less depressed," Baron explained, as quoted by a recent report by CNN.
Shawn Youngstedt, a sleep researcher at the Arizona State University, admits that sleep medication is still more effective than exercise. However, "sleeping pills are extremely hazardous," Youngstedt said.
"They are as bad as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. Not to mention they cause infections, falling and dementia in the elderly, and they lose their effectiveness after a few weeks," he explained.
