Welcome back to Spread the Word Sunday, folks – been on leave for a bit. But what better way to increase awareness of a very important subject, than on this chilly and rainy Sunday in NC.
Today marks the beginning of National Sleep Awareness Week – started by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). I’m pretty excited about this for a few reasons but one of the most important ones is that it gives me an annual reminder about things that went wrong with me last year and what I need to do to make sure that never happens again. Another reason is that this is a perfect opportunity to make sure that the social media participants on the Web, especially those involved with Twitter, regular blogging and online communications work, have a chance to understand the dangers of sleep deprivation. Believe me, I’ve been there, done that and written about it.
I don’t think I have to inform many of you that this thing called the Web stays on all the time and that it’s very easy to get caught up in staring at the glowing monitor for hours on end. Which isn’t good. Apart from the obvious physical ailments that lack of sleep can bring about such as hypertension, depression, and cloudy thinking – it can also interfere with our relationship and jobs. A recent poll from the NSF shows that the number of people reporting sleep problems has increased 13% since 2001. In the past eight years, the number of Americans who sleep less than six hours a night jumped from 13% to 20%, and those who reported sleeping eight hours or more dropped from 38% to 28%. I’m pretty sure I also don’t have to tell you about how crappy you feel when you get little sleep – binge drinking coffee during the workday can only do so much (and it’s probably not that great for you).
The last point I want to make is that for many of us involved in some aspect of social media, it might sound “cool” or might make us seem more important if we stay up til all hours of the morning working on something. The word “hustle” comes to mind – yes, it’s important to work hard for our goals but at the same token, what will all the hard work amount to if you’re laid up in the hospital, completely toasted? It’s important to prioritize, realize what truly is important in life and figure out if you are trying to make things happen or if you’re just trying to impress folks (that probably could care less). Please realize that I need to take my own advice as well…
Check out this video from the NSF regarding highlights from last year’s Awareness Week:
A little bit about the Foundation and its goals:
Established in 1990, NSF relies on voluntary contributions including grants from foundations, corporations, government agencies and other organizations to support our programs.
The goals of the National Sleep Foundation are to ensure that:
- New sleep-related discoveries are made that optimize public health and detection and treatment of sleep disorders.
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@Patricia – wow, definitely good reasons to take a hard look at your sleeping schedule! Feel free to spread the word and if you have anything that you would like profiled here to spread the word, you know how to find me!
I wish I had known about this! Wonderful sharing of information. My big thing was Rare Disease Day last Saturday.
For myself, I am guilty of all of this (working too late and getting up too early), and have been my entire life.
I am struggling to get my life in better balance. I also know someone who died falling asleep while driving. In addition, many people in my family have sleep disorders, so I am glad see this outreach and awareness effort. Many thanks for the helpful information and pointers!