NYC Sleep Doctors Explain Why Now Is a Great Time to Do Something About Your Poor Sleep

Are you getting enough sleep? Or – more to the point – are you getting enough quality sleep? Do you think most people you know are? We ask because according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly one-third of Americans aren't getting enough quality sleep.

CDC Press Release: "Insufficient Sleep Is a Public Health Epidemic"

These are strong words, coming as they do from one of the agencies in charge of trying to maintain high levels of public health for Americans. But according to the studies that led to this statement, sleep insufficiency has been linked to motor vehicle accidents, industrial disasters, and occupational errors that endanger both workers and people around them. People suffering from sleep insufficiency are also more likely to suffer from hypertension, diabetes, depression, obesity, cancer, increased mortality, and reduced quality of life and productivity.

The CDC attributes this pandemic of poor sleep habits to many things – round-the-clock work schedules, increasing access to media and technologies that keep us from sleeping or disrupt sleep, and growing numbers of actual sleep disorders such as insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea. Whatever the causes, the results are clear – in one of the CDC's studies, the percentages of people reporting that they had unintentionally fallen asleep during the day at least once in the last month were between 34% and 45% (depending on age). That's a LOT of people not getting sufficient sleep.

How can you tell if you have a sleep problem?

Well, if you're an adult, NYC sleep doctors say that you should be getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night (young children need 10 hours and teens need 9-10 hours per night). If you're getting less – and on a regular basis – chances are you have a sleep problem of some kind. The most common is insomnia – having difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, but there are other types of sleep disorders as well. One of the most dangerous is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), in which your breathing periodically stops and starts during sleep. OSA is linked with loud snoring, and is dangerous because it seriously increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Other symptoms of OSA include recurring daytime sleepiness, waking in the night feeling shortness of breath and with a dry mouth or sore throat, and having difficulty focusing during the day. If these symptoms sound familiar, you may well have a sleep disorder.

How do I find out for sure, and if I have a sleep disorder, what do I do then?

The best way to know for sure whether you are getting sufficient sleep is to call the NYC sleep apnea specialists at New York Sleep-Wake Center and schedule an interview with them. Doctors at this Manhattan sleep center will ask you a number of questions about your sleep habits and if necessary schedule a sleep study – either in one of the best sleep centers in NYC or at home – and determine whether you have developed either a sleep disorder or poor habits that are contributing to dangerous levels of insufficient sleep in your life. If you have actual sleep disorders, they can treat them and make them go away. If you've just developed bad sleep habits, these sleep specialists can help you develop healthier habits that will help you fall asleep more easily, sleep more soundly through the night, and wake up more refreshed and able to better enjoy your life.

And as we said in the title of this article, the best time to do this is NOW. Poor sleep erodes your physical health and your mental well-being and literally places you at much greater danger due to accidents. Don't risk all of this when relief – and a better night's sleep – is as close as a phone call to 646-233-1838.

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