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Posted on May 27, 2008, 8 p.m.
By Jeanelle Topping
More people across the globe now suffer from sleep disturbance and insomnia as a consequence of increasingly stressful and busy lifestyles, experts reveal.
More people across the globe now suffer from sleep disturbance and insomnia as a consequence of increasingly stressful and busy lifestyles, experts reveal.
Sleep specialist Jessica Alexander said: "We live in a society which is running on all cylinders 24 hours a day and we are all packing more into those 24 hours than we ever have… so it's not really surprising something is giving and one of those things is sleep quality, as are stress levels."
If you are living at a constant level of sleep deprivation, even if it is only slight, then everything is going to be running at less than perfect," she added.
Research has found that stress, long working hours, financial worries, muscle cramps and inconsiderate neighbours account for some of the main reasons for peoples' problems sleeping.
Ms Alexander explained: "It's actually quite significant in terms of its contribution to health and wellbeing, and, if you not getting enough sleep, you are missing positive energy [and] it's going to have a major effect on both mental and psychical wellbeing."
Exhaustion caused by lack of sleep is increasingly common among young people, with the majority failing to get a full seven hours sleep each night.
