A survey conducted in 2007 showed that nearly 70 percent of moms would rather sleep or have uninterrupted time to themselves than get breakfast in bed. Less than 20% would choose to spend time with their spouse or partner if they were given an extra hour in their day.

1.    Do you feel refreshed when you wake up in the morning?

58% of stay-at-home moms, 56% of moms who work full time and 41% of moms who work part time say they wake up unrefreshed a few days a week.

2.    Do you ever have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep?

72% of stay-at-home, 72% of part time and 60% of part time moms experiende symptoms of insomnia a few nights a week.

3.    Does snoring keep you or your loved ones awake?

Approximately one third of moms snore at least a few nights a week.

4.    Is your sleep interrupted during the night?

43% of moms who work full-time and 41% of those who work part-time or stay-at-home experience a symptom of a sleep disorder a few nights a week or more. Many women also lose sleep because of children, pets, bathroom needs, pain, stress, nightmares and noise.

5.    Are you a coffee junkie?

Many moms count on caffeine to get through daytime sleepiness. On average moms drink  2 ½ cups of caffeinated drinks per day.

6.    Is sleepiness affecting your love life?

44% of full-time working moms, 39% of stay-at-home moms and 28% of part-time working moms say they are too tired for sex.

7.    Do you drive under the influence of sleepiness?

Many moms report drowsy driving and 19% say they have done so with children in the car.

8.    What keeps you from sleeping?

73% of full-time working moms, 71% of stay-at-home moms do housework before bed and 88% of part-time working moms watch T.V.

A recent study performed by researchers at the National Cancer Institute has linked sleep deprivation to an increased risk of cancer, Reuters Health Information reports.  The study shows that a consistent sleeping problem (regularly sleeping less than seven hours a night) can lead to a 47% higher chance of developing cancer later in life.
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Apparently, the increased scrutiny of the issues that face our country and world, brought on by the presidential election, is causing many Americans to suffer sleepless nights. Between the struggling economy, the threat of climate change and the US’s international conflicts, it’s no surprise that American citizens are stressed, but why should that mean you can’t fall asleep? Nighttime sleep is when you should be able to shut your brain down, despite the worries of your day– SpeedSleep can show you how.
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Since it’s Friday, here are your sleep-related links of the week! SpeedSleep suggests you stay up-to-date on your sleep news, for your own health benefits.

Yet another study proves that too little sleep can cause increased risk of heart disease.

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Learning quickly is an essential skill for success in school, business and life. To be able to pick up new skills and information and put them into use quickly makes adapting and growing easier in any field. These days, more and more studies are proving that a good night’s rest is one of the most important needs to be able to learn rapidly.
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According to this article, the indigenous Australian instrument helps combat sleep apnea and disruptive snoring. Because disordered sleeping is often the result of weakened and collapsed upper airways, playing the instrument is considered therapeutic for patients who are awoken in the night by breathing issues. Who knew musical instruments could be useful as a natural sleep aid?
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As always, here are our favorite sleep related articles and blog posts this week:

Calorie Lab discusses how sleep and sleep drugs affect weight gain.
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We at Speed Sleep know that 7-8 hours of sleep a night is the minimum amount you need to be fully functional all day. We also know that most people don’t get that much. Even with the shortened amount of time it takes to fall alseep with the assistance of our sleep aids, the time that adults in our culture have to dedicate to nighttime rest is limited. That’s why afternoon naps are essential, if you can find a way to take them.
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Loss of sleep due to sleep disorders has been linked with the likelihood of various other diseases like heart disease, obesity, diabetes and depression. But now, lack of sleep for women could create additional dangers. The findings from a new study done in Japan suggest that women who get less than 6 hours of sleep a night may have up to a 60% increased chance of developing breast cancer.
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Happy Halloween!  And remember, nothing is scarier than not getting enough sleep.  Here are our favorite sleep related links this week:

Starling Fitness gives us all the straight facts on sleep and obesity.
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