Pink Magazine is conducting a sleep survey. One of the questions asked is: What is the biggest obstacle to getting enough sleep? At the time I took the survey the stats showed Household chores, errands, etc. leading the way and Work Demands in a close second place.
On June 12, 2008, 60 Minutes aired a segment called the Science of Sleep. Leslie Stahl and viewers around the nation were stunned to learn about how critical sleep is to overall health. The experts pointed out "people who are chronically sleep deprived, like people who've had too much to drink, often have no sense of their limitations" and many disasters such as the Exxon Valdez spill and Chernobyl involved "poor judgements and slow reactions at a time when people were basically tired" and made simple mistakes.
In addition, the researchers found when sleep was restricted (four hours per night for six nights) the study participants entered into a pre-diabetic state! They also were excessively hungry which may describe why we face an obesity epidemic in this country.
Catasthrophic, life threatening events can occur when we allow work demands and household chores, errands, etc. to rob us of sufficient sleep. If we don't make proper rest a priority for our own health, we ought to do it for those around us. Together, let's recommit to getting our 7.5 - 8 hours of sleep each night. A Personal Attaché can help with the other stuff. That's what we do.