Why A Good Night's Sleep Literally Means Everything

We humans, for as long as we have been humans, have needed sleep. We sleep 1/3 of our lives. The importance of sleep to every single human function cannot be exagerrated. We need a solid night's sleep in order to repair our cells, in order to restore our brains --people deprived of sleep become pyschotic--and even to maintain a normal body weight. Why, then, is the fact that most of us are sleep-deprived in American never raised to the level of a national emergency?

Sleep deprivation is a national emergency. According to the 2008 National Sleep Study, over 30% of us are so sleep-deprived that we actually fall asleep going to work or at work. A full 40 to 50% of us over the age of 35 snore at night. This is a serious health issue, because snoring has been linked to a 67% increased risk of stroke, erectile dysfunction and interruption of oxygen to our brains (apnea) and rising rates of depression. Children are increasing suffering from sleep disorders, ranging from snoring to apnea to night terrors, all of which impacts on thier ability to play and learn.

Too bad that none of this merits enough attention form medical authorities that sleep disorders can be covered as a insurable condition, in all cases. It really should be.