Get Some Healthy Rest on World Sleep Day

Today is World Sleep Day 2023, and the theme this year is Sleep is Essential for Health. Created and hosted by World Sleep Society, World Sleep Day is an internationally recognized event that builds connections and raises sleep health awareness among researchers, health care workers, patients and the public.

Sleep is a vital factor in overall health. It is the brain’s fuel, and our mind can’t function at optimal capacity without a full tank. When our mind isn’t operating at peak condition, our body, mood and overall well-being also suffer.

Adults need an average of seven to nine hours of sleep each night, but 30% report averaging less than six hours, according to the National Health Interview Survey. More than 70 million Americans suffer from a sleep disorder. Fatigue is estimated to cost employers $136 billion a year in health-related lost productivity. 

A lack of sleep can be a contributing factor for a variety of mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression.

• Lack of sleep is linked to a higher risk for accidents on the job, which include operating machinery and decision-making. 
• It can slow reaction times in dangerous situations.
• It decreases the ability to problem solve and recognize warning signs that might prevent an accident.
• Workers who are highly fatigued are 70% more likely to be involved in an accident.

To learn why it can be so difficult to sleep, the power of sleep and how to sleep better, review the NAHB toolbox talk on the importance of sleep, check out resources from the North Carolina HBA, and download the World Sleep Day 2023 toolkit.