How Lack of Sleep is Taking its Toll
  • About 70 million people in the United States have a sleep problem, and about 40 million of them have a chronic sleep disorder.
  • One-quarter of America's adults - that's 47 million people - say they don't get the minimum amount of sleep they need to be alert the next day.
  • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says about 100,000 police-reported crashes each year are caused by drowsy drivers. These crashes result in more than 1,500 deaths and approximately 71,000 injuries.
  • People who are already hypertensive may increase their risk of heart attack or stroke if they fail to get adequate sleep.
  • More than two-thirds of children 10 and younger experience frequent sleep problems according to their parents/caregivers in the National Sleep Foundation's 2004 Sleep in America poll. Children's poor sleep habits take a toll on parents/caregivers, some of whom lose an estimated 200 hours of sleep a year due to their child's nighttime awakenings.