Because of the demands of their jobs, millions of groggy-eyed Americans are not getting enough ZZZs – and the consequences could be serious or even deadly. That's the conclusion of government officials who published a study in the April 27 issue of the Center for Disease Control's "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report." The researchers reviewed data from the 2010 National Health Interview Survey.
Lead author Dr. Sara Luckhaupt is quoted by HealthDay as saying: "There about 41 million workers who aren't getting the recommended amount of sleep. Not surprisingly, workers who work the night shift are more likely to not get enough sleep." Luckhaupt noted that working nights and sleeping during the day disrupts the circadian rhythm.
The HealthDay article on the study points out that the researchers' findings include the fact that workers who don't get enough sleep "are more likely to get injured on the job and make mistakes that could injure them and their co-workers" and that in the long run, "insufficient sleep can also affect overall health, resulting in cardiovascular problems, obesity, diabetes and depression."
