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Weekend Poll Results: Waking Up to the Importance of Sleep

Exceptional EA

With thanks to all who participated, here are your responses to my question … Are you getting enough sleep?

We need more sleep

How well rested do you feel today? When I posed this question to assistants in my latest Weekend Poll, only seven percent said they felt well rested on the day they participated in the poll. The good news is that just over a quarter of respondents said that, while they could use more sleep, they felt fairly rested. It’s noteworthy that 25% said you felt exhausted or worn out.

We can all have off days – or nights – and so I also asked readers if you typically get enough sleep. Thirty-six percent of respondents were able to say yes, yet that was not the case for the remaining 64%.

Do you wake up tired, or refreshed?

However, while 36% of respondents said you typically get enough sleep, only 25% said you typically wake up feeling refreshed … and that’s down from 36% in 2019.  

Thirty-six percent of respondents said that you wake up feeling refreshed. That’s close to the percentage of readers (33%) who said you typically follow routines to ensure a good night’s sleep. This is despite 56% of respondents telling me this year that you typically follow routines to ensure (or support) a good night’s sleep.

In fact, three of every four respondents said you typically wake up tired. That represents a nine percent jump from 2019, although it’s fairly consistent with previous years when I posed the same questions.

Assumptions

It could seem reasonable to assume that Omicron, the latest COVID-19 pandemic variant – and the associated disruptions to family, holiday and travel plans – may have something to do with 64% of respondents saying you’re not getting enough sleep. However, I’ve been posing that same question to readers for five years now. The fact is, a higher percentage of you said you’re getting enough sleep in 2021 than the last time I posed the question, in 2020. 

The percentage of respondents who’ve told me you do get enough sleep has ranged from a low of 20.75% in 2016 to a high of 37% in 2018. In 2019, 26% of you said you typically get enough sleep.

This year, I asked if you’ve recognised any differences in your sleep patterns since COVID entered our lives. Thirty-five percent of respondents said no. Another 21% said there’s been sleep disruption here and there, though nothing ongoing. While 10% of respondents said you’re sleeping more – perhaps because there are fewer commutes, or for other reasons – 18% of respondents said you’re sleeping less. Another 16% said you’re sleeping less, though that’s attributed to factors other than COVID.

What can you do?

Family circumstances, such as being a parent of young ones (or, in some instances, teens!) or a caregiver for someone with health challenges, can impact whether sleep is a luxury or something we might take for granted.

There are strategies that can support a good night’s sleep. Consistency is helpful, as is avoiding bright lights before heading to bed. When you set your smartphone down for the night, leave it that way. How challenging would it be to refrain from checking email, social media and other communications as of an hour before you want to fall asleep? It’s good to avoid television and all electronics as we head toward bedtime. Research shows that the glowing light from electronic devices interferes with sleep, as it suppresses melatonin. 

There are other tips on how to support a good night’s sleep. We want to avoid evening snacks. Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol can adversely impact sleep. You’ll notice I asked in the poll about evening exercise. Everyone’s different, and yet we’re told that working out close to bed time can have the effect of recharging us, rather than encouraging sleep.

You’ll find more ideas in the data below, from readers who have adopted routines to support a good night’s sleep. Have a read, and see whether there are practices here you may want to incorporate.

There are some factors beyond control. For many of us, it comes down to a matter of commitment and discipline.

Sleep and resilience

If you were to do a bit of research, using the terms “sleep” and “resilience”, you’d find a number of articles highlighting research linking quality sleep to good health. That’s no surprise. You’ll also find references to research stating we can improve our resilience and brain function by having seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night.  

I know, from this year’s poll and those I conducted in previous years, that seven to nine hours of quality sleep a night will sound ambitious to many. This year, 30% of respondents reported that you typically sleep seven or more hours a night during the week. Another 30% sleep for anywhere from six to seven hours nightly. The window of sleep is five to six hours for 35% of respondents, while another five percent typically sleep less than five hours on weeknights.

Let’s try something

I’ll be writing more about sleep and resilience. For now, let’s think of the days we have remaining in this month. December is a busy time of year. There are plenty of demands on your time, and stress can be a factor even without Omicron impacting peoples’ plans everywhere. 

In order to continue to be adaptable and resilient, we need to take care of ourselves. Yes, we have multiple deadlines and demands on our time, and these times may continue to be taxing. That makes a focus on wellbeing all the more important.

As we make our way to the finish line of 2021, and prepare for the new year ahead, will you join me in a year-end challenge? Can you imagine the positive impacts if each of us committed to closing out 2021 by reclaiming 60 minutes a day to nourish our wellbeing? Let’s think about both sleep and exercise.

First, where in your day could you find 30 minutes to go for a walk, even if it’s in or around your home or office?

#Reclaiming60ForResilience

Next, what could you remove from your evening or morning routines in order to gain an extra half hour of sleep – or, if sleep doesn’t come readily, an extra half hour of quiet time without a screen in front of your face? Here’s a wild thought: what if we find ourselves so positively impacted by whatever reclamations of time we do achieve that we extend the commitment in the year ahead, to the point that such choices become habits?

I am a realist, even as I’m optimistic. These 60 minutes may not come easily, and we may not secure them every day during a month that’s traditionally hectic. Any time you do reclaim for your own good health and resilience, though, will be a success to celebrate. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to sign off and grab some extra sleep!

THE DATA

1. How well rested do you feel today?

2. Do you think you typically get enough sleep? 

3. How many hours of sleep do you typically get on weeknights? 

4. Do you try to get extra hours of sleep on the weekend, or are your sleep patterns (whatever they may be) consistent throughout the week? Note: 2021 marks the first year I posed this question.

5. Do you typically exercise after 7:00 p.m.?

6. Do you intentionally refrain from eating after a certain point in the evening?

7. I asked readers if you engage in the following activities during the hour before you turn out the lights.  Here’s a snapshot.

  7. Do you typically sleep within six feet/two meters of your phone?

8. Do you typically check your phone or other electronic media after turning out the lights?

9. Do you typically check your phone or other electronic media after turning out the lights? Note: 2021 marks the first year I posed this question.

10. Do you typically wake up refreshed, or tired?  

11. Do you typically follow routines to help ensure a good night’s sleep? 

12. If you take transit to work, do you tend to nap during the journey?  

13. Do you recognise any differences in your sleep patterns since the COVID-19 pandemic began impacting our lives?

 

14. I asked readers who have adopted sleep routines to briefly identify them. Here’s what these readers offered.  

15. If you work from home/have worked from home in recent times, do you ever use your bedroom as a home office?

16. I then asked those who do use your bedrooms as offices to describe your working conditions. In descending order the rates at which various approaches were mentioned, here’s what you told me.

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