(submitted by gekkogecko)



WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Many Americans are so sleepy
that they are having problems in their marriages,
making mistakes at work and even going without sex,
according to a report.

The poll by the National Sleep Foundation found that
75 percent of adults frequently have a symptom of a
sleep problem such as frequent waking during the night
or snoring. But few believe they have a sleep problem
and most ignore it.

"Half of the country sleeps pretty well -- the other
half has problems," Foundation chief executive Richard
Gelula said in a statement.

What is to blame? The survey of more than 1,500 adults
found that 87 percent usually watched TV in the hour
before going to bed, 47 percent usually had sex and 64
percent read.

"Only about one-half of respondents are able to say on
most nights, 'I had a good night's sleep'," the
Foundation, which issues regular reports showing
Americans do not get enough sleep, said in a
statement.

Nearly a quarter of those in a marriage or
relationship said they had sex less often or had lost
interest in sex because they are too sleepy.

The Foundation recommends that adults get between
seven and nine hours of sleep a night but the survey
found that Americans get an average of 6.9 hours.

Of those surveyed, 60 percent of drivers admitted to
having driven drowsy in the past year and 4 percent
said they had an accident or near-accident because
they were tired or dozing while driving.

Almost 30 percent of employed adults said they had
missed work, made errors or missed some activity
because of sleep-related issues in the past three
months.

Most people -- 77 percent -- complained that their
partner has a sleep-related problem, usually snoring.

"In my practice, I've found when couples are forced to
sleep apart because of one partner's sleep problems,
it often has a terrible effect on the relationship,"
said Dr. Meir Kryger, director of the Sleep Disorders
Centre at St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre at the
University of Manitoba in Winnipeg and a director of
the Foundation.

More than a third of people who described themselves
as poor sleepers said their intimate relationships
were affected because they are too sleepy, compared to
8 percent of good sleepers.

__________________

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