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Struggling to get enough sleep is remarkably common: About one in three<\/a> American adults don\u2019t get the recommended seven hours a night, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Recently, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) conducted a survey to determine what\u2019s driving Americans\u2019 poor sleep hygiene and found six common factors\u2014many of which are related to stress.<\/p>\n For the survey, the AASM polled<\/a> more than 2,000 adults about their sleep habits, along with what prevents them from getting sufficient shut-eye. Nearly half (45%) said that family responsibilities have a major or moderate impact on their ability to sleep well on a regular basis. Participants also said stress about work (39%), housing costs (36%), and work schedules (35%) had an impact.<\/p>\n Health challenges also appear to be preventing some people from getting a good night\u2019s sleep. Physical health problems were an issue for 39% of the survey participants, while 37% said that mental health problems interfered with their sleep, too.<\/p>\n Below, sleep experts break down the survey results\u2014and share their thoughts on what to do if these issues are affecting your sleep.<\/p>\n Meet the experts: <\/strong>Beth Malow, M.D.<\/a>, chief of the Division of Sleep Disorders at Vanderbilt Health; David Kuhlmann, M.D<\/a>., sleep medicine physician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine; W. Christopher Winter, M.D.<\/a>, board-certified sleep medicine researcher and author of The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix It<\/p>\n Why do these factors impact sleep?<\/strong><\/p>\n There are likely a few things going on here. For one, \u201cmany Americans feel that sleep is a luxury and it\u2019s more important to make time for work and family,\u201d says Beth Malow, M.D.<\/a>, chief of the Division of Sleep Disorders at Vanderbilt Health. As a result, people are willing to sacrifice sleep to take care of those responsibilities.<\/p>\n David Kuhlmann, M.D<\/a>., sleep medicine physician and spokesperson for the AASM, points out that these factors don\u2019t impact sleep in the same way: Work schedules, especially shift work or irregular hours, can disrupt your body\u2019s internal clock, making it harder to stick with a consistent sleep schedule, while physical health problems may cause pain or discomfort that can interrupt sleep.<\/p>\n Additionally, Dr. Kuhlmann notes, many of the factors the survey highlighted are linked to stress. \u201cWhether someone is worried about paying bills, juggling family responsibilities, managing a demanding work schedule, or navigating a health condition, those concerns can keep the brain in a heightened sense of alertness, making it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, sleep isn\u2019t a stand-alone function,\u201d he adds. \u201cOur physical and mental health, daily routines, and life circumstances all influence our ability to get the consistent, restorative sleep our bodies need.\u201d<\/p>\n Why is this concerning?<\/strong><\/p>\n Sleep does more than help you feel well-rested the next day. Lack of sleep can impact your immune system\u2019s ability to function<\/a> properly, according to the CDC. A chronic lack of high-quality sleep is also linked<\/a> to a host of serious health complications, including the following:<\/p>\n Add Prevention as a preferred source in your Google search results.<\/p>\n Use your Google account to add this to your settings.<\/p>\n Add to Google settings<\/p>\n \u201cConsistent sleep that is of sufficient duration is necessary for optimized health. Without it, all organ systems break down eventually,” says W. Christopher Winter, M.D.<\/a>, board-certified sleep medicine researcher and author of The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How to Fix It. <\/p>\n It\u2019s normal to have sleep disruptions here and there, Dr. Kuhlmann says. \u201cBut regularly interrupted sleep can prevent your body and brain from getting the restorative rest they need,\u201d he says. \u201cEven if you spend enough total time in bed, fragmented sleep reduces sleep quality and can leave you feeling tired, less alert and less able to concentrate the next day.\u201d<\/p>\n Interrupted sleep not only cuts into sleep time, but it affects sleep quality, Dr. Malow says. \u201cThink of it as being woken from a deep sleep\u2014even if you return to sleep fairly quickly, you will still need to go through the stages to get back into deep sleep,\u201d she says. \u201cThat affects sleep quality with more light than deep sleep. We need deep sleep to feel fully restored.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
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