Introduction

Richard L. GelulaChief Executive Officer

National Sleep Foundation

2007 Sleep In America Poll

• National Sleep Foundation’s 10th annual survey of America’s sleep habits

• Past NSF polls have covered a wide array of topics:– General adults, 18 and over – most years– Older adults, 55-85 – 2003 – Infants, toddlers and young school children to

age 10 – 2004 – Adolescents, 11-17 year olds – 2006

• This year’s poll focuses on Women and Sleep

2007 Sleep In America Poll

• Polls are conducted independently by NSF• 2007 Task Force of experts:

– Kathryn Lee, RN, PhD, Professor of Family Health Care Nursing and the James and Marjorie Livingston Chair School of Nursing, UCSF

– Meir Kryger, MD, Director of Research & Education, Gaylord Sleep Center, Gaylord Hospital, Wallingford, CT

– Fiona Baker, PhD, Sleep Physiologist at the Human Sleep Research Laboratory at SRI International, Menlo Park, CA

– Amy Wolfson, PhD, Professor of Psychology at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, PA

Scientific Workshop on Women & Sleep

• Presented by NSF and the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine

• Top researchers in the fields of sleep, circadian rhythms, women’s health and women’s studies examine how sleep affects women in all aspects of their lives

• Today is the last day of the workshop, just down the hall…

National Sleep Awareness Week (NSAW)

• NSAW is opportunity for communities and organizations to generate awareness about the importance of sleep

• NSAW is supported by:– More than 700 members of our Community

Sleep Awareness Partners program,– 100 state and federal agencies, and

health, education and safety organizations

NSAW

This year’s Sleep Awareness Partners and Co-Partners include:– Partner: Center for Disease Control

and Prevention– Co-Partners:

• American Academy of Sleep Medicine• American College of Chest Physicians• International Life Sciences Institute• American Sleep Apnea Association

NSAW

This year’s Sleep Awareness Week co-sponsors include:– 12on12off Foundation – American College of Chest Physicians– American Lung Association– Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU– Federal Aviation Administration– Michigan Office of Highway Safety and Planning– National Institute for Occupational Safety and

Health– National Organizations for Youth Safety – National Women’s Health Resource Center – Transportation Safety Division, Oregon DOT– U.S. Coast Guard– Yavapai Prescott Indian Tribe

2007 Sleep In America Poll

The National Sleep Foundation’s 2007 Sleep in America poll is independent of NSAW sponsorship

Methodology

Kathryn Lee, RN, PhDProfessor of Family Health Care Nursing and

the James and Marjorie Livingston Chair School of Nursing

University of California, San Francisco, CA

• Telephone survey of 1,003 American women aged 18 - 64 living in the continental US

• Oversampled pregnant and post partum women

• 25-minute survey was administered• Sample is representative of the telephone

households in the USA• Data collected between 9/12/06 and 10/28/06• Margin of error: plus or minus 3% at the 95%

confidence level

Methodology

• Determine the sleep habits of women• Investigate how women’s sleep is

affected during different reproductive stages

• Examine how women’s multiple roles affect their sleep

• Identify how often women experience various sleep problems

Primary Poll Objectives

Women & Sleep:Key Findings Overall

2007 Poll Roadmap

The 2007 Sleep in America Poll findings:

• Sleep among women overall• The effect of women’s biology

on sleep• The effect of women’s lifestyle

on sleep

Topline Findings…American women are…• Not sleeping well which affects all

aspects of their life • Struggling to “do it all” and as a

result sacrifice sleep• Using many coping strategies to

sustain the pace of daily life• Impacted by biological and lifestyle

factors affecting their sleep

39% 32%

14% 11%4% <1%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Everynight/Almostevery night

A few nights aweek

A few nights amonth

Rarely Never Don't know

Number of Nights Women Can Say "I Had a Good Night's Sleep"

60%

Women Are Not Getting the Sleep They Need60% say they only get a good night’s sleep a few nights per week or less

46%

21%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Every night/Almost everynight

A few nights a week

Frequency of Experiencing Sleep Problems in Past Month

Why Are Women Not Getting the Sleep They Need?

67%

67% experience sleep problems at least a few nights each week, with 46% experiencing sleep problems every night

Why Are Women Not Getting the Sleep They Need?

Biological changes impact sleep• Hormonal changes throughout the lifespan

impact women’s ability to get a good night’s sleep– 24% of women of childbearing age report getting

a good night’s sleep a few nights a month or less– 40% of pregnant and 55% of post partum women

report getting a good night’s sleep a few nights a month or less

– 25% of perimenopausal women and 30% of post menopausal women report getting a good night’s sleep a few nights a month or less

Why Are Women Not Getting the Sleep They Need?

Lifestyle impacts sleep• Working mothers (72%) and single

working women (68%) are more likely to experience sleep problems like insomnia

Other factors that wake women up

• Noise (39%)• Giving care to children (20%)• Pets (17%)

Why Are Women Not Getting the Sleep They Need?

• Women who allow kids (9%) or pets (14%) to share their bed have the most disturbed sleep

• 47% of women say they have no one helping them care for children at night

Consequences of Poor Sleep

Women who experience daytime sleepiness:

• Experience high stress (80%)• Spend less time with friends/family (39%)• Are too tired for sex (33%)• Drive drowsy at least once per month (27%)• In the past month, were late for work (20%)

Consequences of Poor Sleep

Poor sleep and poor mood are intertwined

• Poor sleep can worsen mood – Approximately 80% of women report being

stressed out, anxious or worried– 55% state they have been unhappy, sad,

and depressed in the last month

• Mood can in turn worsen sleep and lead to heightened depression and anxiety

Consequences of Poor Sleep• Symptoms of poor sleep are associated

with negative moods • Women who experience negative moods

a lot are 2 ½ times more likely to infrequently get a good night’s sleep and more prone to:

• Experience daytime sleepiness at least a few days per week (3 times more likely)

• Experience a sleep problem at least a few nights per week (1 ½ times more likely)

• Drive drowsy at least once per month (2 times more likely)

• Miss work due to sleepiness in the past month (5 times more likely)

How Women Cope with Poor Sleep…

• 80% accept daytime sleepiness and keep going

• 65% drink caffeinated beverages – Of those, 37% drink 3 or more

caffeinated beverages a day

87%

60%51%

37%

21%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Watched TV Completedhousehold chores

Read Did activities withchildren

Did work relating tojob

Although Consistently Tired, Women Do Not Go to Bed Earlier

In the hour prior to bed they:

3%

5%

12%

15%

29%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Eye mask/Earplugs

Alcohol, beer or wine

Net: OTC

Net: Prescription

Net: Any

Frequency of Using Sleep Aids(At least a few nights a week)

Combination sleep aid and pain reliever9%OTC or store-bought sleep aids 6%Alternative therapy or herbal supplements2%

Anti-depressants prescribed by a doctor12%Sleep medication prescribed by a doctor8%

How Women Cope with Poor Sleep…

Compromise: Choices WomenMake

When women are tired or run out of time during the day…

• Healthy lifestyle activities are sacrificed – Forego sleep (52%) and exercise (48%)– Reduce time spent with family and friends (39%)– Stop healthy eating (37%) – Don’t participate in sexual activity (33%)

• Work remains a priority– Only 20% of women put work on the “back burner”

Sleep & Women’s Biology

Meir Kryger, MDDirector of Research & Education

Gaylord Sleep CenterGaylord HospitalWallingford, CT

Sleep & Women’s Biology

• Women experience more sleep problems than men

• A woman’s overall health affects her ability to sleep well

• As women progress through different life stages, changing biology affects their ability to get a good night’s sleep

Sleep and Health

• Poor health is linked to sleep problems • Of women who are in fair to poor

health:– 66% experience a symptom of a sleep

disorder at least a few nights per week– 40% diagnosed with a sleep disorder– 46% experience daytime sleepiness a few

days per week– 26% have missed work in the past month– 54% use a sleep aid a few nights per week

Different Life Stages

• Respondents were asked about the quality and quantity of their sleep during 5 reproductive stages– Women of Childbearing Age– Pregnancy– Post Partum – Perimenopausal – Postmenopausal

Women of Childbearing Age

• 67% experience insomnia a few nights per week

• 34% report experiencing a sleep disorder such as snoring, sleep apnea or RLS

• 33% say their sleep is disturbed during the week of their menstrual cycle

• 16% have missed work during the past month due to a sleep problem

Pregnant Women

• 30% say they rarely or never get a good night’s sleep

• 84% have insomnia at least a few nights each week

• 40% report sleep disorders such as snoring, sleep apnea or RLS

• 54% nap at least twice per week

Post Partum Women

This is the first national sleep survey of post partum women.

• Post partum women have insomnia at the same rate as pregnant women (84%)

• 42% say they rarely/never get a good night’s sleep, more than any other group

• 47% report no one helping with kids• 20% have driven drowsy with kids• 19% experience post partum

blues/depression

Perimenopausal Women

• 59% have insomnia a few nights per week

• 43% report symptoms of a sleep disorder such as snoring, sleep apnea or RLS

• Noise (36%) and co-sleeping with pets (20%) are the most common nighttime disturbances

• 20% experience night sweats and hot flashes

Postmenopausal Women

• Have the highest incidence of:– Limited time in bed - less than 6 hours

(14%) – Sleep disorders such as snoring or sleep

apnea (42%) – RLS (22%) – Sleep aid use (41%) – Obesity (30%)

Sleep & A Woman’s Lifestyle

Lifestyle and Sleep

• Sleep is greatly impacted by lifestyle

• 2007 NSF Sleep in America poll examined sleep among 6 segments of women– Working, Single Women– DINKs and Empty Nesters– Stay-at-Home Moms– Part-time Working Moms– Briefcases with Backpacks– 50-somethings

Working, Single Women

• Spend the least time in bed, generally less than 6 hours

• 54% wake up un-refreshed a few days each week

– 70% accept this and keep going• 47% consume more than 3 cups/cans of

caffeinated beverages per day• Nearly 30% use the weekends to “catch up” on

sleep

DINKs & Empty Nesters

Working married/partnered women with no children or grown children get better sleep than most groups - despite being in bed less than 7 hours per night• Low incidence of sleep problems (15%)• Yet, healthy lifestyle choices are still

compromised because women are tired or run out of time 46% report having no time for sleep 47% sacrifice exercise 38% don’t participate in sexual activity

Stay-at-Home Moms

• 74% rarely get a good night’s sleep • Despite this, 61% say they spend over

8 hours in bed each night• In the hour before bed, 71%

complete household chores and activities with kids– 57% nap at least once per week– 43% curtail leisure activities– 39% forego sexual activity

Part-time Working Moms

• Report getting the best sleep of all the groups

• 50% say they are in bed for over 8 hours per night– 68% accept the day’s

challenges and keep going– Napping is frequent; 60% take

a nap at least once per week

Briefcases with Backpacks

• Married/partnered women with school-aged kids, who work full time

• Spend less than 6 hours in bed per night• 72% have insomnia • 70% accept sleepiness and keep going

– 56% use caffeine

• Highest rate of drowsy driving (35%)• Lifestyle compromises are high

– 60% give up sleep and exercise– 52% do not socialize regularly with family and

friends– 44% do not have time for sex

50-somethings

• Are not employed, no children at home• Have highest frequency of sleep

disorders• Highest sleep aid usage (41%)• 32% say they get a good night’s sleep

only a few nights per month– Spend over 8 hours in bed per

night and frequently nap

NSF 2007 Poll Overview

American women are…• Not sleeping well which affects all

aspects of their life • Struggling to “do it all” and as a

result sacrifice sleep• Using many coping strategies to

sustain the pace of daily life• Impacted by biological and lifestyle

factors affecting their sleep

What Women Can Do?

• Make healthy sleep a priority!• Make time to get 7-9 hours of sleep each

night • Create a relaxing and quiet environment

for sleep • Exercise regularly (not less than 3 hours

before bed time) and eat healthy• Avoid caffeine and alcohol a few hours

before bed• If you have a new infant, arrange for

help

NSF Great American Sleep Challenge• A nationwide, online interactive

campaign designed to focus America’s attention on getting better sleep

• Visit www.sleepfoundation.org to sign up

• There is still time! Sleep Challenge continues through March 31st