Wake Up America 1 in 5 People Are Sleepy

About 30 percent of U.S. adults reported moderate to excessive sleepiness, with 11 percent of them reporting severe sleepiness, said Maurice Ohayon, a psychiatry professor at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Sleep Epidemiology Research Center.
“The prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness is very high in the American population, much higher than what we observed in the European population. Insufficient sleep is plaguing the American population and is one of the leading factors for excessive daytime sleepiness,” Ohayon stated.
“The number of individuals sleepy or drowsy during situations where they should be alert is disturbing,” Ohayon said. “Sleepiness is underestimated in its daily life consequences for the general population, for the shift workers and for the people reducing their amount of sleep for any kind of good reasons. It is always a mistake to curtail your sleep.”
Those most likely to suffer excessive sleepiness were people with sleep apnea, a breathing disorder in which the sleeper's soft tissue blocks the upper airway, decreasing or halting airflow multiple times per night.
People with an insomnia diagnosis also suffered from daytime sleepiness as did, those who sleep six hours or less, night workers and those with a major depressive disorder. Women between the ages of 25 and 34 had the highest rate of daytime sleepiness. Ohayon believes that motherhood might play a role in demanding their attention at all hours.
The study consisted of asking 8,937 people aged 18 or over living in Texas, New York and California about sleeping habits, health, sleep problems and mental disorders. The researchers were then able to gather the data for this study, which was funded by a grant from Cephalon, a pharmaceutical company and maker of Nuvugi, a medication that helps people stay awake and alert. The research was supported by the Arrillaga Foundation, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke of the National Institutes of Health.

AASM On Sleep Medications And Insomnia Treatment

Insomnia and Sleep Medications
Insomnia occurs when people have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, and it is a common sleep compliant. While a brief case of insomnia can arise due to temporary stress, excitement or other emotion, more than 20 million Americans report having a chronic form of insomnia that keeps them from sleeping well nearly every night. As a result, the insomnia, which is a serious and often debilitating condition, can lead to severe daytime fatigue, poor performance at school and work, physical symptoms such as headaches, and in some cases depression.
People suffering from insomnia need to know that there are effective insomnia treatments and their sleep can improve. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that people who experience insomnia see a sleep medicine specialist or primary care physician for proper diagnosis and to discuss treatment options before treatment with medications is undertaken. This evaluation should also look for specific causes of insomnia such as restless legs syndrome or depression.
Sleep medications are often used for the short-term treatment of insomnia and, on occasion, for more chronic insomnia. Medications that currently are available by prescription are known to improve sleep by reducing the amount of time it takes to fall asleep, increasing sleep duration and/or reducing the number of awakenings during sleep. While modern hypnotics are considered safe, individuals should be aware that, like all medications, side effects may occur in a minority of patients. These side effects can include sleep walking, sleep eating and other complex sleep behaviors as well as difficulty with memory.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PATIENTS
Behavioral therapies and medications have been shown to be effective therapies for insomnia. Behavioral therapies use nonpharmacologic methods to improve sleep and are effective and long lasting. Sleep medications are effective and safe treatments for insomnia when used properly and judiciously by a patient who is under the supervision of a sleep medicine or primary care physician.