BEIJING,
March 8 (Xinhuanet) -- More than half of American women say they get a
good night's sleep only a few days a week or less, media reported on
Thursday.
According to a poll released by the National Sleep
Foundation (NSF), American women are very, very tired. Sixty percent say
they don't get enough rest most nights of the week while 43 percent report that
daytime sleepiness interferes with their regular activities.
"American women are not sleeping well, and that is
affecting all aspects of their life," said Kathryn Lee, a professor of family
health care nursing at the University of California, who worked on the survey.
The survey found 80 percent of women who don't get
enough sleep experience high stress. Others spend less time with family and
friends, are too tired for sex, drive drowsy and are late for work, she said.
What should women do if they're having trouble
keeping their eyes open during the day?
The first step, sleep experts say, is to get help
from the doctor. So many emotional and physical factors can affect sleep that
it's often impossible to make a diagnosis without taking a thorough medical
history.
Lifestyle changes such as cutting down on caffeine
or reducing stress at night can make a huge difference. The bedroom should be
cool, dark and quiet with comfortable bedclothes. Nicotine can also interfere
with sleep; smokers should quit.
If the problem is physical, such as a sleep
disorder, doctors have many resources from medication for restless-leg syndrome
to mechanical devices for breathing problems.
Sometimes, patients spend the night in a sleep lab
where doctors study and record every breath and movement during the night to
pinpoint where things are going wrong. So don't just yawn; get the help (and the
sleep) they need.
The NSF survey, called the 2007 Sleep in America
poll, is based on a telephone survey of more than 1,000 women, ages 18 to 64.
(Agencies)
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