Rich People Sleep More, Researchers Say
Image: Timothy Krause via flickr
Money may not buy happiness, but it does get you more sleep according to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Researchers at the CDC examined results from the 2013 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and found that there is indeed a positive correlation between dollars and zzzs earned.
Graph courtesy of the Washington Post
The CDC segmented the results of the 74,571 NHIS respondents by income and found that about two-thirds of those below the poverty line ($23,550 for a family of four in 2013) get six or more hours of sleep a night compared to three-quarters of those making four times the poverty level ($94,200 for a family of four).
The numbers are especially troubling when you take into account that 45.3 million people live in poverty. In their report the CDC calls the issue “public health epidemic,” that not only puts the sufferer at risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity—in addition to a poor quality of life—but it also puts other citizens in danger as well, particularly when it comes to the operation of machinery or vehicles. Drowsy driving alone is estimated to be responsible for 1,550 fatalities and 40,000 nonfatal injuries annually in the United States by the National Department of Transportation’s account.
The results may not be all that surprising to you, as numerous studies have shown that poverty and poor health are inextricably linked—and poor health often stems from sleep deficiencies. However, as the Washington Post notes, it also debunks a widely held sentiment that the “poor have it easy.” They add that the reason those hovering the poverty line sleep so little is that many of them have to take on multiple jobs just to help ends meet, and that often means sacrificing sleeping hours to compensate for what’s not done at home while on the job.
[Via Washington Post]
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