2007 Sleep in America Poll Shows Stay-at-Home Mothers Most Likely to Sleep
Poorly
WASHINGTON, March 6 /PRNewswire/ -- More than half of American women
(60 percent) say they only get a good night's sleep a few nights per week
or less and 67 percent say they frequently experience a sleep problem.
Additionally, 43 percent say that daytime sleepiness interferes with their
daily activities, according to a new poll released today by the National
Sleep Foundation (NSF). Women's lack of sleep affects virtually every
aspect of their time-pressed lives, leaving them late for work, stressed
out, too tired for sex and little time for their friends.
NSF's 2007 Sleep in America poll sought to look at the sleep patterns
of adult women (ages 18-64), as the NSF's 2005 Sleep in America poll found
that women are more likely to experience sleep problems than men.
The new 2007 poll found that women of all ages are experiencing sleep
problems, which change and increase in severity as they move through the
different biological stages of their lives. Interestingly, lifestyle also
plays a significant, often negative, role in women's sleep and daytime
alertness. Working mothers (72 percent) and single working women (68
percent) are more likely to experience symptoms of sleep problems like
insomnia. But, stay-at-home mothers report a high level of overall sleep
problems, with 74 percent saying they are experiencing symptoms of insomnia
at least a few nights each week, 59 percent saying they frequently wake up
feeling un-refreshed and 9 percent report co-sleeping with a child or
infant, which adds to the sleep disturbances they experience each night.
American women are struggling to cope with this lack of sleep, but that
doesn't slow them down. Eighty percent of women say that when they
experience sleepiness during the day they just accept it and keep going.
However, in order to keep going, 65 percent are likely to use caffeinated
beverages, with 37 percent of all women consuming three or more caffeinated
beverages per day. And, despite being frequently tired, women are not
heading to bed earlier. In the hour prior to going to bed, instead of
retiring early, 87 percent say they watch television, 60 percent complete
the remainder of their household chores, 37 percent do activities with
children, 36 percent do activities with other family, 36 percent are on the
Internet and 21 percent do work related to their job at least a few nights
a week.
Poor sleep is associated with poor mood. The majority of women reported
being bothered by worrying too much about things (80 percent) and/or being
stressed out or anxious (79 percent). Sleep problems often co-exist with
mood disturbances. In fact, more than one-half of the women polled (55
percent) reported that they felt unhappy, sad or depressed in the past
month and one- third (36 percent) reported that they recently felt hopeless
about the future. The relationship between sleep and mood is
bi-directional. Mood effects can cause poor sleep and poor sleep can put
someone at a greater risk for symptoms of depression and anxiety.
"Women of all ages are burning the candle at both ends and as a result
they are sleepless and stressed out," said Ralph Pascualy, M.D., medical
director of the Swedish Sleep Medicine Institute in Seattle. "Poor sleep
impacts every aspect of a woman's life, as well as her health. This year,
we are asking women to take the steps necessary to make healthy sleep a
higher priority in their lives and in the lives of their families."
Lack of Sleep Disrupts Quality of Life
The Sleep in America poll also finds that a lack of a good night's
sleep is interfering with a woman's quality of life. Women report that they
often choose to put healthy activities last on their priority list as they
struggle through their daily lives. When pressed for time, one-half of the
women polled responded that sleep (52 percent) and exercise (48 percent)
are the first things they sacrifice. Additionally, more than one-third of
women say they also reduce the amount of time they spend with friends and
family (39 percent), stop eating healthy (37 percent) and don't participate
in sexual activity with their partner (33 percent) when they run out of
time or are too sleepy in a day. Interestingly, work is the last thing that
women say they sacrifice when pressed for time; only 20 percent of women
responded that they would opt to put work on the back burner when they run
out of time or are too sleepy.
About two-thirds (68 percent) of the women polled say they were working
during the past month, with almost one-half (46 percent) saying that they
worked full-time. Some working women (8 percent) report that they miss work
at least once a month due to sleepiness or a sleep problem. In addition,
two in 10 say they were late to work more than once in the past month due
to oversleeping (20 percent) or feeling too tired when they woke up (19
percent). About one-half of women who are working (53 percent) say that
their work schedule is flexible and women between the ages of 18 and 24 are
significantly more likely than their older counterparts to work
non-traditional hours or overnight shifts.
Despite warnings, women are still driving drowsy. More than one-quarter
(27 percent) of women polled said they have driven drowsy at least once a
month in the past year; 10 percent of those who had driven drowsy did so
with a child in the car. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
conservatively estimates that up to 100,000 police-reported crashes
annually involve drowsiness or fatigue as a principal causal factor.
"Women who spend less than seven hours in bed at night are more likely
to doze off during the day, report symptoms of depression, drive drowsy and
use coping mechanisms just to make it through their day," said Dr.
Pascualy. "Furthermore, women tend to compromise the most important aspects
of good health -- diet, exercise and sleep -- when trying to juggle the
day's ongoing responsibilities. Foregoing healthy lifestyle habits in favor
of more time during the day is not the solution. In fact, it can be
detrimental to optimum health and performance."
Sleep and Health
The NSF Sleep in America poll also found poor health and obesity are
linked to an increased frequency of sleep problems. Women who report being
in fair or poor health are significantly more likely than those who report
being in excellent or very good health to:
-- Experience any symptom of a sleep disorder at least a few nights per
week (66 percent vs. 30 percent)
-- Have been told by a doctor that they have a sleep disorder (40 percent
vs. 10 percent)
-- Experience daytime sleepiness at least a few days per week (46 percent
vs. 12 percent)
-- Have missed at least one day of work because of sleepiness or a sleep
problem in the past month (26 percent vs. 7 percent)
-- Use any sleep aid at least a few nights per week (54 percent vs. 19
percent)
Additionally, women with height and weight that would be categorized as
obese (BMI greater than or equal to 30) are more likely than those with a
BMI classified as overweight or average weight to:
-- Snore at least a few nights each week (46 percent vs. 33 percent for
overweight and 21 percent for average weight)
-- Experience daytime sleepiness at least a few days a week (31 percent
vs. 22 percent for overweight and 18 percent for average weight)
-- Use a prescription sleep aid at least a few nights per week (23 percent
vs. 14 percent for overweight and 11 percent for average weight)
"Adopting healthy behaviors such as eating nutritious foods, being
physically active, watching your weight, and getting enough sleep are
important steps toward living a healthy life," said Dr. Pascualy. "As the
largest, most comprehensive sleep-disorders program in the region, the
Swedish Sleep Medicine Institute applauds NSF's efforts to educate all
Americans about the importance of sleep."
Women, Biology and Sleep
The 2007 NSF Sleep in America poll also asked respondents about the
quality and quantity of sleep. These findings were then analyzed within
different biological stages of their lives.
Pregnant women spend the most hours in bed(1) per weeknight (8 hours,
14 minutes on average), however most pregnant women (84 percent) report
symptoms of insomnia a few nights each week, with 40 percent also reporting
signs of a sleep disorder such as snoring, sleep apnea and/or restless leg
syndrome (RLS). Interestingly:
-- 30 percent of pregnant women report that they rarely or never get a
good night's sleep.
-- Most pregnant women (82 percent) report getting significantly better
sleep before their pregnancy.
-- One percent of pregnant women report consuming alcohol, beer or wine
within an hour of going to bed at least a few nights each week as a
sleep aid.
-- 54 percent of pregnant women report napping at least twice per week.
Menstruating women spend the next longest amount of time in bed on
weeknights (7 hours, 32 minutes on average), with 67 percent of these women
reporting experiencing symptoms of insomnia at least a few nights each
week. Of menstruating women:
-- 16 percent say they have missed work one or more days in the past month
due to a sleep problem.
-- 34 percent say they experience symptoms of a sleep disorder like
snoring, sleep apnea and/or RLS.
-- One-third of menstruating women (33 percent) say that their sleep is
disturbed the week of their cycle.
Post-partum women spend less time in bed on weeknights than pregnant
women (7 hours, 46 minutes on average), but they report the same frequency
of symptoms of insomnia (84 percent). Of the women in this group, 42
percent report that they rarely or never get a good night's sleep -- the
highest frequency of all the groups.
-- When asked what awakens them most during the night, 90 percent of
post-partum women say giving care to a child.
-- Nearly one-half (47 percent) of post-partum women say that they have no
one helping them with childcare at night.
-- 20 percent of post-partum women say they have driven drowsy with
children in the car.
-- 35 percent of post-partum women report experiencing symptoms of a sleep
disorder such as snoring, sleep apnea and/or restless legs syndrome.
-- Among post-partum women with a child who is 3 months old or younger,
the child is most often sleeping in a crib in the parent's room (48
percent). Roughly one-fourth say their child sleeps in his/her own room
(27 percent) or in the parent's bed (22 percent).
-- About two in 10 (19 percent) women in this category say they experience
post-partum blues or depression.
Perimenopausal women (women during their menopausal transition years)
spend the least amount of time in bed on weeknights of all the groups (7
hours, 12 minutes on average). More than half (59 percent) of women in this
life stage say they experience symptoms of insomnia at least a few nights
each week.
-- 43 percent of perimenopausal women report experiencing symptoms of a
sleep disorder such as snoring, sleep apnea and/or RLS.
-- Perimenopausal women cite noise (36 percent) and co-sleeping pets (20
percent) as awakening them most during the night.
-- 20 percent of women in this category say they have a difficult time
sleeping due to hot flashes or night sweats at least a few nights each
week.
Postmenopausal women generally spend more than 7 hours in bed on
weeknights (7 hours, 19 minutes on average), but of all the groups,
postmenopausal women report the highest incidence (50 percent) of a sleep
disorder such as snoring, sleep apnea and/or RLS.
-- 61 percent of women in this life stage report experiencing some
symptoms of insomnia at least a few nights each week.
-- 41 percent say they use a sleep aid at least a few nights per
week -- the highest frequency of all the groups.
-- 22 percent of postmenopausal women say they have a difficult time
sleeping due to hot flashes or night sweats. A similar proportion (22
percent) report experiencing restless legs syndrome (RLS) at least a
few nights each week. Symptoms of RLS appear more frequently in these
individuals than in other segments.
-- Postmenopausal women report the highest BMI's with 36 percent reporting
that they are overweight and 30 percent that they are obese -- a factor
that plays a significant role in sleep disorders.
"Women are often blindsided by life and biology," said Dr. Pascualy.
"As women go through different life stages, internal biological factors and
external lifestyle factors have a huge impact on their ability to get a
good sleep. Despite the life phase, it's important for women to choose to
make healthy sleep a priority."
Women, Sleep and Lifestyle
The 2007 Sleep in America poll investigated how sleep habits change
throughout a woman's life and how sleep is affected by lifestyle. As such,
the poll looked at the following six segments of women to gauge how women's
sleep patterns change and are affected by lifestyle.
Working, single women spend the least amount of time in bed, generally
less than six hours per night and one-half (54 percent) of the women in
this category say they wake up feeling un-refreshed at least a few days
each week. Despite this, 70 percent of working, single women say that they
just accept it and keep going when they are sleepy during the day. In
addition, working, single women are also very likely to use caffeinated
beverages when sleepy during the day (47 percent), consuming an average of
3.1 cups/cans per day. About one-third say they use the weekends to try to
catch up on their sleep (31 percent) and these women are likely to spend
time with their friends in the hour before going to bed (27 percent).
Working, married women with no children or grown children (Empty
nesters) report getting better sleep than most groups, with 44 percent
saying they get a good night's sleep every night or almost every night,
despite the fact that they report being in bed less than seven hours per
night on average. Empty Nesters report a low frequency of sleep problems
(15 percent), but nearly one- half report that they do not have enough time
for sleep (46 percent) or exercise (47 percent), and 38 percent say they
don't have sex because they are too sleepy or run out of time.
Stay-at-home moms (SAHMs) report that they rarely get a good night's
sleep, despite the fact that 61 percent report that they spend eight or
more hours in bed each night and more than one-half (57 percent) report
napping at least once per week. Three-quarters (74 percent) of women in
this category say they are experiencing symptoms of insomnia, with 59
percent saying they wake up feeling un-refreshed in the morning and 56
percent reporting that they wake frequently during the night. This segment
of women is most likely to report sleeping with an infant or child, which
likely accounts for many sleep disturbances throughout the night. Lack of
sleep has a big impact on SAHMs who say they are unable to do leisure
activities (43 percent) and/or have sex with their partner (39 percent)
because they are too tired or ran out of time in the day. SAHMs report that
in the hour before going to bed, they are completing household chores (71
percent) and/or doing activities with their children (71 percent).
Many women today choose to work part-time while raising their children.
Part-time working moms say they are sleeping well and one-half (50 percent)
report typically being in bed for more than eight hours per night.
Interestingly, these women are among the least likely to be told by their
doctor that they have a sleep problem (16 percent) and this segment of
women are less likely to say they are unable to do things because they run
out of time or are too tired. Like other women, part-time working moms also
say they accept it and keep going when tired during the day (68 percent),
but they frequently use napping (60 percent taking at least one nap per
week) and caffeinated beverages to cope (40 percent). In the hour before
going to bed, the majority report watching television (88 percent).
Women who are married, with school-aged children and working full-time
(Briefcases with Backpacks) report being in bed less than six hours per
night on weeknights and are less likely to nap. Women in this segment are
most likely to report symptoms of insomnia with more than one-half (56
percent) saying they often wake up feeling unrefreshed and one-half (54
percent) saying they frequently wake up during the night. Seventy percent
of women say they just accept it and keep going when they are sleepy during
the day. These women are the most likely segment to use caffeinated
beverages when sleepy during the day (56 percent), consuming an average of
2.7 cups/cans per day. Women in this group are most likely to drive drowsy
(35 percent) and to feel that they don't have time for the following: sleep
(60 percent), exercise (60 percent), spending time with family and friends
(52 percent), leisure activities (49 percent) and have sex with their
partner (44 percent). This segment of women is also most likely to report
mood disturbances; specifically being bothered or troubled by worrying too
much about things (37 percent).
After going through one or more of these life phases, women begin to
approach retirement age. 50-something women have the highest frequency of
sleep problems, though they report spending more than eight hours in bed
per night on weeknights (66 percent) and say they often nap at least once
per week (61 percent). As a group, women in this segment frequently use
sleep aids (41 percent) and approximately one-fourth (26 percent) of these
women have been told by their doctor that they have a sleep problem. When
sleepy during the day, 50-something women rarely just accept it and keep
going; instead they choose to do less during the day (20 percent) and/or
nap to catch up on their sleep (16 percent).
Other Poll Highlights
-- Women who allow children (9 percent) or pets (14 percent) to share
their bed have the most disturbed sleep.
-- It's a myth that men snore and women do not. Nearly one-third of women
(31 percent) responded that they snore at least a few nights per week,
likely disturbing their own sleep and the sleep of their partner.
-- 29 percent of women report using some type of sleep aid at least a few
nights per week.
-- About two in 10 women (19 percent) report experiencing symptoms of
restless leg syndrome (RLS). Women who experience RLS at least a few
nights a week are more likely than those who experience RLS with less
frequency to:
- Experience symptoms of insomnia at least a few nights a week (90
percent vs. 62 percent)
- Experience daytime sleepiness at least a few days a week (44 percent
vs. 17 percent)
- Consume more caffeine per day (3.71 cups/cans vs. 2.27)
- Use sleep aids at least a few nights a week (47 percent vs. 25
percent)
Tips for Healthy Sleep
According to the National Institutes of Health, approximately 70
million people in the United States are affected by a sleep problem, with
women suffering from lack of sleep more often than men and with increasing
frequency as they age. If you have difficulty with your sleep for any
reason, here are some tips that may help you get a better night's sleep:
-- Try to have a standard relaxing bedtime routine and keep regular sleep
times. Make sure your bedroom is dark, cool and quiet and that your
pillows, sleep surface and coverings provide you with comfort.
-- Exercise regularly, but finish your workout at least three hours before
bedtime.
-- Avoid foods and drinks high in caffeine (i.e., coffee, colas, tea and
chocolate) and alcohol a few hours before bedtime. Caffeine and alcohol
disturb sleep. Nicotine may make it difficult to fall asleep and lead
to fragmented sleep; those who smoke should get help to quit.
-- If you have a new infant in the family, arrange for some help from
family or friends in order to get a few more hours of sleep each week
until your infant is sleeping through the night. When you return to
work, additional assistance during this transition may be essential for
keeping you safe at work and on your commute.
NSF released the poll findings as part of its 10th-annual National
Sleep Awareness Week(R) campaign, held March 5-11. For more sleep tips for
women, as well as the Summary of Findings for the 2007 Sleep in America
poll, visit NSF's Web site at http://www.sleepfoundation.org.
Methodology
The 2007 Sleep in America poll was conducted for the National Sleep
Foundation by WB&A Market Research. Telephone interviews were conducted
between Sept. 12 and Oct. 28, 2006, with a targeted random sample of 1,003
women ages 18-64. A random sample of telephone numbers was purchased from
SDR Consulting, Inc. and quotas were established by region, with pregnant
(n=150) and post-partum (n=151) women being over sampled. The response rate
for this study was 20.4 percent (number of completed interviews divided by
the number of completed interviews plus the number of contacted households
who refused participation or did not complete appointments, factored by the
overall incidence of 69 percent). The data was weighted to reflect equal
proportions of respondents by age based on the U.S. Census. The poll's
margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 percent at the 95 percent confidence
level.
NSF Background
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) is an independent nonprofit
organization dedicated to improving public health and safety by achieving
greater understanding of sleep and sleep disorders. NSF furthers its
mission through sleep-related education, research, and advocacy
initiatives. NSF's membership includes researchers and clinicians focused
on sleep medicine as well as other professionals in the
health/medical/science fields, individuals, and more than 900 sleep clinics
throughout North America that join the Foundation's Community Sleep
Awareness Partners program. NSF's financial support comes from a variety of
diverse sources, including memberships, sales of educational materials,
advertising, investment income, individual donations, subscriptions, and
educational grants from foundations, federal agencies, and corporations
including pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical companies. Corporate grants
are accepted on an unrestricted basis only. NSF alone determines the ideas
and content published or promoted in its educational programs. NSF relies
on positions of government agencies, the published consensus of sleep and
medical professionals and peer-reviewed, publicized evidence for its public
health recommendations. A list of 2007 contributors can be found on NSF's
Web site.
NSF does not solicit nor accept funding for its annual Sleep in America
polls; NSF polls are developed by an independent task force of sleep
scientists who provide guidance and expertise in developing the poll
questionnaire and analysis of the data. NSF can be found online at
http://www.sleepfoundation.org
NSF - CDC Partnership
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is one of the 13
major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS), which is the principal agency in the United States government for
protecting the health and safety of all Americans and for providing
essential human services, especially for those people who are least able to
help themselves. In January 2007, the CDC partnered with NSF in support of
NSAW and the NSF Great American Sleep Challenge(TM).
(1) Attention should be given to the fact that the poll respondents
were asked to provide their usual bedtime and usual wake time which were
used in calculating their "number of hours in bed." This tends to be
reported more accurately than estimates of "number of hours slept."
Swedish is the largest, most comprehensive, nonprofit health provider
in the Pacific Northwest. It is comprised of three hospital campuses --
First Hill, Cherry Hill (formerly Providence) and Ballard -- a new
freestanding emergency room and specialty center in Issaquah, Swedish Home
Care Services and Swedish Physicians -- a network of 12 primary-care
clinics. In addition to general medical and surgical care, Swedish is known
as a regional referral center, providing specialized treatment in areas
such as cardiac care, oncology, orthopedics, high-risk obstetrics,
neurological care, sleep medicine, pediatrics, organ transplantation and
clinical research. For more information, visit http://www.swedish.org
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