Sleepless in America

What do you think the sleepless states have in common?

This map is from the results of a very interesting survey that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released last week.  According to the survey, more than 1 in 10 Americans report insufficient sleep every night for the last month.  That number is worrisome.

So what commonalities do the states with the highest rates of sleeplessness share with one another?

Obesity in America

Now take a look at CDC’s map from the Trust for America’s Health report on obesity in America:

The two maps don’t exactly overlap, but the point becomes evident when you look back at the states that the CDC identified as having the most difficulty sleeping.  All but one (Florida) have been identified as having obesity in more than one quarter of the adult population, and four of them score worst at over 30%.  This trend is not good – rates of obesity have more than doubled since 1991.

Does this mean that sleep is also getting worse?  Probably.  We know that obesity leads to sleep disorders such as apnea.  There is also growing evidence that very short sleep can lead to weight gain.

So Which Causes Which?

We know that poor sleep is associated with several serious health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes and obesity, but is poor sleep actually contributing to the growing problem of obesity in this nation? I.e. Could more sleep be a weight loss solution?

The answer to that question is a holy grail of sorts, and is one of the things that science is currently looking into.

So stick to the advice any personal trainer would give you: if you have the choice of diet, exercise, or sleep… pick all three.

—
John Shambroom heads up Science here at Zeo. In addition to keeping Zeo’s foundation in sound, scientifically-based data, he also keeps an ear to the ground to help you channel the lessons from other scientists into your own lives.

Tagged as: Sleep Stealers, Society & Sleep