Here’s an extract from my latest article on The Huffington Post about the importance of sleep for health and high performance.
Sleep is tough. Getting enough of it. Falling into it. And staying that way for a good amount of time — restfully and without waking. A “solid” night’s sleep? Who gets that nowadays?
According to statistics reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 30 percent to 40 percent of men and women get less than seven hours of sleep per night. About one-third of adults unintentionally fell asleep during the day over the past 30 days, and more than 41,000 people are killed or injured due to nodding off or falling asleep behind the wheel each year.
Those are pretty scary statistics, but definitely not surprising. Getting a solid seven hours isn’t easy — especially with work and life stress carrying into the night. And don’t forget the ever-present computers and other devices that project light into our optical systems, continually messing with our circadian rhythms.