With the Economy Down, Sleeplessness Is Up
Poll finds one-third of Americans stay awake worrying about personal finances
Almost a third of all Americans are tossing and turning, unable to get a good night’s sleep because they’re worrying about the economy, their jobs or their money, a new poll finds.
Money woes far outweigh other problems, such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, global warming, or the threat of a terrorist attack, according to the annual poll by the National Sleep Foundation.
“What is very telling is that these Americans whose sleep is impacted by financial worries report that their sleep disturbance makes them much less likely to work efficiently, exercise, eat healthily, and have sex compared to their better-sleeping fellow Americans,” said report co-author Michael V. Vitiello, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at University of Washington.
These sleep-disturbed Americans also report that they’re more than twice as likely to miss participating in family events, leisure activities and work functions because of their sleepiness, Vitiello added.
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