Long Workweeks Keep Americans Up

While Daylight Savings Steals An Hour

NEW YORK CITY (AP) — Hey you! Dozing at your desk! Wake up, go home and get more sleep! That could be the message from a survey released this week by the National Sleep Foundation.

The survey of 1,000 people found participants average six hours and 40 minutes of sleep a night on weeknights, even though they estimated they would need roughly another 40 minutes of sleep to be at their best.

Roughly one-third of those surveyed said they had fallen asleep or become very sleepy at work in the past month. Just how big a deal that is depends, of course, on your job.

Last week, the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission acknowledged it should have done more to investigate a tip that security guards routinely took naps while on the job at a Pennsylvania nuclear plant.

It was not until a videotape of guards sleeping in a “ready room” at the Peach Bottom plant in south-central Pennsylvania surfaced several months after it got the tip that the NRC announced in September a special investigation.

While sleepy workers know they are not performing as well as they could during the day, work is what is keeping them up nights, according to the survey, which found workdays are getting longer and time spent working from home averages close to four-and-a-half hours each week.

It seems people are also trying to squeeze in more time for themselves and their families, even if it means less sleep. The average wake up is at 5:35 am, and it is followed by about two hours and 15 minutes at home before heading out to work, according to the survey.

Average bedtime is 10:53 pm.

The return to Daylight Saving Time (DST) at 2 am Sunday, March 9, is just going to compound issues for those already starved for enough shuteye. As a result of this weekend’s time jump, many will lose an hour of sleep when much of the United States “springs forward” one hour.

“Millions of Americans already do not get the sleep they need,” said Dr Jennifer Papa Kanaan, sleep expert at the University of Connecticut Health Center. “And, unless we choose to make sleep a priority, Daylight Saving Time will take away yet another hour of healthy sleep.”

Dr Kanaan recommends that everyone make an effort to set a bedtime that allows the seven to eight hours of sleep that adults need to be healthy.

“Sleep is as important as diet and exercise in helping people to function and to maintain good health,” says Kanaan. “Americans need to be reminded of this — not only when we change the clocks on March 9, but every day of the year.”

Here are some tips on how to get a good night’s sleep during the weekend of DST and year-round:

*In the four days before the return to Daylight Saving Time (Sunday, March 9), try to go to sleep and awaken 15 minutes earlier each day to adjust to the time change.

*Be cautious not to drive if drowsy on the day or two after the time change, as lost sleep contributes to drowsy driving.

*A short nap on March 9 can help make up for less sleep, but do not nap within a few hours of your regular bedtime in order to avoid disrupting nighttime sleep.

*On nights after the time change, go to bed at your usual clock time (eg, 11 pm). You may experience some difficulty falling asleep, because your brain has not yet adjusted. Therefore it is even more important to follow the following healthy sleep habits:

*Create a sleep-friendly environment that is dark, cool, comfortable, and quiet.

*Have a relaxing routine before bedtime, such as soaking in a hot bath, reading for fun or listening to soothing music.

*Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol for several hours prior to bedtime, as they can disrupt sleep.

*Get up at your usual clock time. Although you may find this a bit difficult, it will help you adjust to the time change.