![]() "The data is limited, but they strongly suggest that over the past four or five decades, sleep duration has decreased by one and a half to two hours," she says.Īnd Van Cauter even wonders about all those famous people who supposedly don't need sleep. Van Cauter says most surveys today put the average sleep time of Americans at six or seven hours. This was, of course, in a time period when television stations went off the air by midnight, and there were few late-night diversions, like online shopping. Van Cauter notes that the National Cancer Society surveyed more than a million Americans in 1960 and found that people said they got an average of eight-and-a-half hours of sleep. ![]() You could be reading or on eBay," Evangeline Morphos, a Columbia University professor, told me.Īttorney Carolyn Schrager's high-school-age daughter told her the one thing she wishes she could change about her life is to do away with the need for sleep.Īlthough it is hard to get real statistics about how much people slept in different periods of history, there are some pretty good indications that even five decades ago, people slept much longer on average. "Sleeping more than five hours feels like a waste of time. I started listening to people talking about sleep habits in the coffee shop where I get my morning coffee. I live and report in New York City, and there is definitely a kind of pride or resignation here about lack of sleep. Van Cauter notes that every time she takes a morning flight, one-third of the plane is fast asleep within minutes of the plane taking off. He also notes that many people who fall asleep in meetings or consume large amounts of coffee consider that normal these days and not a sign of being sleep-deprived. For example, they sleep on the way to the airport in the limo.ĭinges says people often don't count dozing off as sleep if they are not in their pajamas or in bed. David Dinges, a sleep researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, questions whether they are "as prevalent as is claimed in society" and whether they are really so special.ĭinges also believes that many people who say they are short sleepers are getting more sleep than they are willing to admit. But most sleep researchers say they comprise only 10 percent or less of the population.ĭr. Short sleepers, people who can do with five hours of sleep a night, do exist. "Sleeping as little as possible is viewed as a badge of honor here," Cauter says. Eve Van Cauter, a sleep researcher and professor of medicine at the University of Chicago, says that many people today, especially in the United States, take pride in not getting much sleep. The scene in the film encapsulates this myth that successful people don't need sleep and even provides a rationale: that our fast-paced society no longer lets us have such luxuries.ĭr. "Sunday," says Jeff, in a priceless moment. ![]() "Do you know what time it is in Tokyo?" replies Jeff, the mogul, "4 p.m. "Are you still at the office?" Nick asks. Nick, a public relations guy for the smoking industry, is talking to a Hollywood mogul, who calls him up late at night to give him an update on a deal. Think of the scene in the film Thank You for Smoking. So there is a glaring disconnect between what the messages in our culture say about sleep and the messages we receive from scientists. But almost every sleep researcher will tell you that most people need at least seven hours of sleep for biological and psychological health. In our fast-paced, global society, many people consider it a big plus to need as little sleep as possible. or Lose! Here, she answers your questions on sleep.Īlmost everyone has heard a story about someone famous who doesn't need much sleep: Martha Stewart, Bill Clinton, Condoleezza Rice, Margaret Thatcher, the list goes on and on. To live up to our true sleep potential - and all of the health benefits that come from a good night's rest - the sleep-troubled need to change their nighttime habits.Įmsellem, a neurologist and medical director of the Center for Sleep and Wake Disorders in Chevy Chase, Md., is a nationally known sleep expert and author of the book Snooze. Soon enough, we're caught in a vicious cycle where one rotten, sleepless night follows another. Or we wake up in the middle of the night, mind racing, unable to drift off again. ![]() Too engaged in work or play, we put off going to bed. Believe it or not, some of us need to be taught how to sleep. ![]()
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