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Sleep Disturbances

When was the last time you got a really good night's sleep?  Many of us walk around complaining that we're tired without realizing that the average American woman gets only 6.5 hours sleep per night - when 7 to 8 hours is recommended by the National Sleep Foundation.  Doctors are the worst patients in this arena:  the average family physician sleeps only 4 to 5 hours per day.

Sleep deprivation is usually caused by the demands of the alarm clock, but insomnia is different:  insomnia means not being able to sleep when you want to and have the opportunity to do so.  Insomnia has many diverse causes:  age, stress, and many physical or mental illnesses.  There are also specific sleep disorders resulting from medical conditions such as restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, or fibromyalgia.  In addition, women also suffer from sleep disturbances when their hormones are acting up:  menarche, menstruation, pregnancy, nursing, perimenopause, and menopause.  One in 4 women report that they suffer from daytime sleepiness and nearly half admit that they have driven a car while drowsy - although these same people would never consider driving under the influence of alcohol, the effects can be just as awful. This can be a fatal mistake and should be a serious wake-up call for anyone who has found themselves in that situation.

Sleep deprivation has serious consequences beyond making your irritable and cranky.  Sleep deficits have been linked to poor job or school performance, general fatigue, increased incidence of accidents, and increased risk of illness.

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Created: 2/7/2001  -  Donnica Moore, M.D.


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