A good night’s sleep can make you feel smarter, happier and more decisive according to Professor David Hillman from the Sleep Health Foundation.
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Sleep Awareness Week promoted getting between seven and nine hours shut eye a night as a means to feel more alert, energized, decisive, happy and less prone to catching winter bugs.
Sleep deprivation costs the Australian economy over $5 billion a year in lost productivity and healthcare costs.
“Take your sleep more seriously,” Professor Hillman said. “You'll see immediate and impressive results at work and at home.”
Paul Pierotti, owner of Sleep Doctor Griffith, said sleep was absolutely vital if a person wanted to be healthy, fit and ‘on top of their game’.
“It has a fundamental influence on all of your bodily functions, and your ability to be alert, think clearly and perform well,” Mr Pierotti said.
“Australia’s known to hold onto their mattresses longer than most parts of the world, the average age of a mattress in Australia is up to around 18 years, and we know that a mattress will have lost at least 40 per cent of its tension at eight to 10 years.
“People spend a lot of money going to chiropractors and massages and all these issues to do with support, but even if you do these remedial efforts it won’t help unless you’re getting proper support and proper comfort and a good night’s sleep.
“We’re all different, and what was right for you 10 years ago may not be right for you now.”
The Sleep health Foundation website had a wide range of resources on a variety of sleep-related topics, but ultimately, people should seek advice from medical professionals if there were any concerns about their sleep.
More than 18 per cent of adults report sleeping less than six hours a night regularly, with sleep disorders affecting over 20 per cent of the population.
Fatigue in Australia
- One in five serious car crash injuries are attributed to impaired alertness, making it one of the largest identifiable and preventable cause of transport accidents.
- 16 per cent of the Australian workforce are shift workers, who experience impaired alertness due to inadequate sleep and disruption of the 24-hour body clock.
- 45 per cent of the truck drivers have a sleep disorder causing impaired alertness.
- Employees with a sleep disorder have a 50 per cent increased risk of occupational injury, absenteeism and error or safety violation attributed to fatigue.
