This week in sleep news …
Majority of Americans have lost sleep from binge-watching TV
Most of us can admit to partaking in binge-watching every now and then. However, 75% of Americans are losing sleep over online distractions, according to a survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The survey of 2,005 U.S. adults found that 91% of participants reported they have lost sleep due to binge-watching television at least once, and 75% reported losing sleep due to online shopping. The survey found that half of the participants watch TV and 45% use their smartphone when having issues falling asleep. Additionally, 87% said they keep their smartphone in the bedroom, often within arm’s reach, making both middle-of-the-night scrolling and binge-watching hindrances in the quest for better sleep.
Sleep deprivation makes us less happy and more anxious
Losing sleep not only makes us tired, but also more anxious and less happy, according to an analysis by the American Psychological Association. Researchers analyzed data from 154 studies over 50 years, encompassing 5,715 total participants. In these studies, researchers disrupted participants’ sleep in various ways for one or more nights. In some experiments, participants were kept awake for an extended period. In others, they were allowed a shorter-than-typical amount of sleep or were periodically awakened throughout the night. Each study measured emotion-related variables after the sleep loss, such as participants’ self-reported mood, their response to emotional stimuli, and measures of depression and anxiety symptoms.
Overall, the researchers found that all three types of sleep loss resulted in fewer positive emotions, such as joy, happiness, and contentment, among participants. They noted increased anxiety symptoms, such as rapid heart rate and increased worrying, though findings for symptoms of depression and negative emotions were inconsistent.
In more fun sleep news …
Actor Rob Lowe told USA TODAY that he gets “an embarrassing amount” of sleep. Lowe, who currently stars in several shows across different networks, says that while he won’t divulge the exact number of hours he gets, if there’s ever a chance to get 12 hours, he’s taking it. The actor also shares that he has it down to a science, with noise-canceling headphones and an eye mask, which helps him catch some Zzz’s between sets.
