Consumer Reports surveyed over 26,000 readers and found that 60% have trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or wake up feeling tired.
Of those who reported trouble sleeping, 69% were unemployed. Women and those who were obese reported the highest prevalence of sleep problems.
When asked what was keeping them awake at night, the most popular responses were work related stress (47%), health problems (28%) and financial worries (22%).
40% of respondents are taking (or have taken) sleeping pills, and 30% had tried over-the-counter medication to help them sleep. Those who tried 'natural' supplements such as melatonin or valerian reported the lowest levels of satisfaction when asked how effective these supplements were at improving their sleep.
As for some tips to improve your sleep, Consumer Reports asked close to 9,000 individuals who reported they were happy with the quality of their sleep what habits they maintained in order to achieve this level of sleep health.
Responses included daytime exercise, relaxing for 30 minutes before going to bed, going to bed and waking up at the same time each day and having sex before sleeping.
Source: Consumer Reports
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Last updated: August 21, 2012
