Basic HTML Version
F
e a t u r e
9
%
The percent
of people
13 to 18
years old
who are
awakened
after they
go to bed
every night
or almost
every night
by a phone
call, text
message or
email.
T HE S T OR Y
S LUMBER
UNDERSTAND THE NEED
Sleep needs can vary, but most adults require between
7 and 9 hours of shut-eye per night. School-age kids and
teens need at least 10 hours of slumber. Bleary-eyed par-
ents might not believe it, but newborns sleep the most:
between 16 and 18 hours a day.
KNOW THE
SIGNS
You may be too sleepy to
drive safely if you can’t keep
your eyes focused,you can’t
stop yawning, or you can’t
remember driving the last
few miles.
Seek medical help if you’re consistently
waking up sleepy or feeling tired during
the day despite getting enough sleep at
night. You may have a sleep disorder or
an underlying medical condition that can
often be treated.
Snoring is annoying, but
usually harmless. However,
loud snoring can be a symp-
tom of a life-threatening
sleep disorder called sleep
apnea. People with this
condition awaken fre-
quently during the night
gasping for breath, and
they feel sleepy during
the day. A sleep study can
diagnose the disorder, and
medical treatment can
help.
12%
The percentage of
drivers between
ages
19
and
45
who say they drive
drowsy once or
twice a week.
8%
The percentage of
drivers between
ages
13
and
18
who say the same
thing.
FOODS
The best bedtime
snack to help
you feel sleepy?
One that contains
both a protein and
a carbohydrate,
such as cheese
and crackers or
cereal with milk.
S N O O Z E
40%
30%
women
men
are affected by
insomnia.
and
D
I
A
L
D
O
C
T
O
R
A
DON’T
IGNORE
THE
TIME THE
CAFFEINE
Caffeine acts as a stimu-
lant, which can keep you
awake. It can take as long
as 8 hours for the effects
of caffeine—found in things
such as coffee, cola, tea,
chocolate and some pain
relievers—to wear off.
SNORE
TAKE THE
ALARM
CLOCK
TEST
If you can’t
wake up
on time
without an
alarm clock,
then you’re
probably
not getting
enough
sleep.
That’s
especially
true if you
have to hit
the snooze
button a
couple of
times before
rolling out
of bed.
PULL OVER
➧
Sources: American Academy of Sleep
Medicine; Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention; National Institutes of Health;
National Sleep Foundation
♞
Adequate sleep is needed
to think clearly and react
quickly. Agood night’s sleep
can also make it
easier to learn
a mentally chal-
lenging task.
MIND
T H E
TIME
BILLION
$
16
We pay an estimated
in medical costs each
year for sleep disorders.
In a U.S. survey of more than 74,000 driv-
ers, the percentage of those who admit-
ted to nodding off or falling asleep while
behind the wheel:
Age Percentage
18–24
4.5
25–34
7.2
35–44
5.7
45–54
3.9
55–64
3.1
65+
2.0
BANK
ON GOOD HEALTH
Running a sleep deficit
increases your risk of
developing high blood
pressure, heart disease,
depression and diabetes.
It can also cause you to
gain weight.
on-
24
02
04
06
08
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
02
04
06
08
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
24
02
04
06
08
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
ADULT
KIDS & TEENS NEWBORNS
INFECTIONS
You’re more apt to stay well with a good night’s
sleep. A hormone that fights various types of
infections increases during sleep.
FEND
OFF
zz
z
z
Cranking up the volume on the radio, rolling down the
windows or turning on the air conditioner won’t help if
you’re feeling drowsy while driving. The best thing to do is
to pull off the road (in a safe place) and take a short nap.
Trouble
sleeping?
We can help.
Call Shannon
Sleep Center
at 325-
949-2361.
S P R I N G 2 0 1 2
7
H E A L T H B E A T