Sleep
  1. Sleep is vital to our well-being, yet tens of millions of us are not getting enough sleep or are suffering from a sleep disorder. - National Sleep Foundation
  2. 74 percent of American adults are experiencing a sleeping problem a few nights a week or more, 39% get less than seven hours of sleep each weeknight, and more than one in three (37%) are so sleepy during the day that it interferes with daily activities. - National Sleep Foundation
  3. Sleeping is a serious problem for millions of people. The National Sleep Foundation estimates that 20 percent of Americans, up from 13 percent eight years ago, sleep fewer than six hours a night. The lucky few who sleep a full eight hours or more dropped to 28 percent, from 38 percent. - New York Times, 2009
  4. Being chronically sleep-deprived is more than just tiring. It can lead to depression, high blood pressure, later work disability, and lower productivity, both on and off the job. - National Sleep Foundation, 2009
  5. Despite the high prevalence and consequences of insomnia, only a minority of suffers are treated. - Sleep Medicine Reviews, 2009
  6. To combat wakefulness, Americans filled more than 50 million prescriptions in 2008 for sleeping pills like Ambien and spent more than $600 million on over-the-counter sleep- inducing supplements such as melatonin and valerian root. - Time Magazine, 2009
  7. Americans spent $4.5 billion on sleep medications in 2007. The market for insomnia drugs is expected to grow 78 percent, to nearly $3.9 billion, by 2012, as drug makers scramble to bring more pills to market to compete with name brands like Lunesta, Sonata and Ambien CR. - New York Times, 2009
  8. Sleeping pills are the most common treatment for insomnia. However, these medications are often ineffective with regular use and are associated with potentially serious side effects, including impaired daytime functioning, dependency, amnesia, and increased mortality risk. - Psychiatry Investigation, 2007
  9. Sleeping pills only increase total sleep time, and reduce the time it takes to fall asleep, by about 10 minutes. - New York Times, 2007
  10. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a non-drug treatment for insomnia, is the preferred first-line treatment for insomnia. It improves sleep in 75-80% of patients and has no side effects. - American Psychological Association and Consumer Reports
  11. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy puts people to sleep faster than sleeping pills. - American Journal of Psychiatry
  12. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy works as well or better than sleeping pills. - Journal of Family Practice