We’re familiar with the concept that lack of sleep is bad for us — yet research shows that just over 40% of Irish people notch up a bare six hours’ sleep or less on an average weeknight. We continually subject ourselves to sleep deprivation, even though, according to the World Health Organisation, adults generally need between seven and nine hours’ sleep a night. We’re simply not acknowledging the importance of sleep, says Dr Elaine Purcell, consultant in sleep disorder medicine in the Mater Private Hospital. “People don’t put enough emphasis on the importance of getting enough sleep,” she says. According to Awake, a recent RTÉ documentary on the issue, more than 40% of us notch up a bare six hours’ sleep or less on an average weeknight.

Source: Irish Examiner May 25, 2018 05:26 UTC