Sleep Shouldn’T Be A Luxury So Why Has It Tumbled Down Our List Of Lifestyle Priorities?

Sometimes we overlook the most obvious connections.

You’ve undoubtedly noticed those magazine stories about America’s declining civility.

And you’ve probably also seen accounts of study after study showing that Americans aren’t getting enough sleep. Right?

Well, does it have to be any more plain?

Somebody needs a nap.

A lot of somebodies, actually.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, 64 percent of Americans are sleep-deprived.

Meet the Drowsy Majority. They came. They saw. They overbooked.

Experts say this has direct negative implications for productivity, medical expenses and sick leave.

Not to mention courtesy.

In addition, an estimated 40 percent of Americans say sleep interferes with their schedule of activities.

Say what?

Since when did sleep become a luxury?

OK, maybe epidemic drowsiness doesn’t explain every rude clerk, abusive motorist or fire-breathing boss. But clearly legions of Americans have come to regard getting enough rest simply as an option. And often, they choose to burn the candle at both ends instead.

That’s bad news.

There’s no need to recount for the zillionth time how busy life has become for many of us. Chances are, even if you aren’t gobbling Stress Tabs, you’ve got more to do than can be easily accomplished in 16 hours.

The future is here. It’s a 24-hour wired world, serenaded by too-soon snooze alarms and fueled by frequent hits of caffeine.

Still, the decision to regard sleep as wasted time carries a penalty.

In the extreme, those who regularly drive while nodding off can wind up dead tired.

But apart from the health and safety issues, there’s the simple fact that serial yawners tend to feel rotten.

We all know what that’s like, trudging through the day as a zombie.

Your eyelids weigh more than ore freighters. Your brain keeps initiating its shutdown procedures. And the clock on the wall seems to move in slow-mo.

“I really do suffer if I don’t get enough sleep,” said Gail Somers, an artist who lives in Coeur d’Alene.

She’s not alone. But sometimes there’s a trade-off: Sleep enough or take your shot at having it all.

The question becomes, how will I elect to spend my time?

Letterman or lights out?

Dancing or dozing?

ESPN or REM?

Different people make different decisions.

Emilie Hamilton, who works in the administrative offices at Spokane International Airport, said there’s almost nothing for which she will voluntarily sacrifice a significant chunk of sack time.

But Newport church secretary Bonnie Evans said she’s willing to do without sleep for almost any excuse.

“I can catch up the next night,” she explained.

For some, however, that “next night” keeps getting postponed.

Nobody’s saying it’s a sin to miss a few Zs because you got home late from a play or because you’re trying to get in the habit of rising early to exercise.

And obviously, parents who stayed up with sick kids don’t deserve to be heckled for their fatigue.

But anyone with a hint of awareness knows there are those who wear going without sleep like a bloodshot badge of honor.

They brag about it. They want you to believe that they’re living large.

That might be changing, though. A new trend is rubbing its eyes and stepping gingerly out of bed.

Forget counting sheep. Say hello to power sleeping.

Several high-performance achievers - Amazon.com’s Jeff Bezos, for instance - have been quoted in recent months saying that making sure they get eight hours of shut-eye a night is key to their business performance.

Could a good night’s sleep be on the verge of becoming a status symbol?

It would be enough, say some sleep researchers, if it simply regained the respect it deserves.

In a nation of sleepyheads, there are myriad strategies for balancing daily demands and desires with the need for rest.

Some try to rack up long stretches of drool-on-the-pillow recharge time during the weekend.

Some catch a few winks at work.

Spokane music teacher Tom Anderson likes to stay up late. So he takes a nap when he gets home in the afternoon. “I call it Norwegian meditation,” he said. “It gives me my second wind.”

If more people did that, perhaps fewer strangers would be so cranky and modern life might be a nicer experience. It stands to reason.

OK, in this matter of the sleep deficit’s impact on civility, a disclosure is in order. There haven’t been conclusive examinations of the toll it takes on adult personalities.

But a study of 510 kids ages 2 to 5 at Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago found that the preschoolers who did not get enough sleep were far more likely to throw temper tantrums than their well-rested peers.

So isn’t it logical to assume that the same holds true, to some degree, for 25-year-olds or 45-year-olds?

Sure.

Maybe someday soon, people will recognize that going without enough sleep is nothing short of antisocial. And perhaps slumber will regain its rightful place high up on our list of lifestyle priorities.

Dream on.

Paul Turner can be reached at (509) 459-5470 or by e-mail at pault@spokesman.com.