The Problem
Middle of the Night Waking or Waking Too Early? You Are Not Alone!
The National Sleep Foundation reports that about one half of all US adults suffer from some form of occasional sleeplessness a few nights per week or more – that translates to over 100 million Americans! More people have problems waking during the night (about one third of all Americans) than those who can’t initially get to sleep!
Losing Sleep Is A Serious Matter!
On a monthly basis, 17% of Americans fall asleep behind the wheel and 1% has had an accident while drowsy. The National Highway Safety Administration reports 100,000 crashes, 40,000 injuries and 1,550 fatalities annually from drowsy driving alone. About half of sleeplessness sufferers are so sleepy that it interferes with their activities several times per month. Loss of sleep has been proven to be related to poor functioning and decision-making, increased mistakes and errors,and poor relations with family, friends and co-workers. Sleeplessness is also linked to increased rate of heart disease, cancer, obesity and mortality.
Safety Concerns and Unpleasant Side Effects Limit Good Choices
Concerns about drowsiness upon awakening and addiction make few people willing to take current sleep medications. A study by the National Sleep Foundation among women showed that almost half of those who had taken sleep aids felt drugged or foggy the next day, and more than a third had difficulty getting out of bed. All existing OTC sleep aids must be taken before going to bed. Since we don’t always know when we’ll have sleep problems, many people are not willing to take a sleep medication before they know they are going to have a sleep problem.