Shocking Sleep Statistics
Sleep is truly the other half of our waking lives as well as an essential half of modern psychiatry.
During sleep, our brains re-charge the neurotransmitters that are so important to our mood and thinking – dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin to name a few. “If there is no gas in the tank, you can’t push the gas pedal,” is something I often say to my clients, because indeed, if you are not well-rested, recharged, not much will work.
This article points to the alarming sleep epidemic that we have seen over the past several years, where indeed, most of us, may not be getting enough sleep. The good news is that it is indeed an alarming article. A 2015 study of preindustrial societies, living without light, heat, wifi, and Netflix, show that sleeping 5.7 to 7.1 hours per night may actually be quite “normal,” and natural. The long lines at Starbucks, and marked increase in stimulant prescriptions, do point out, we could all sleep a little more.
If you tell people they can sleep 7 hours, they tend to sleep 6. So be alarmed.
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