Editorial: A nation of sleepyheads

Wednesday, March 29, 2006 | 7:15 a.m.

Americans aren't getting enough sleep, and it is becoming especially evident among teenagers, a new report says.

According to a random poll by the National Sleep Foundation, a nonprofit group that seeks to improve public health and safety through education about sleep and sleep disorders, only 20 percent of children ages 11 through 17 sleep the recommended nine hours each night. And 45 percent reported sleeping fewer than eight hours on school nights.

More than half of adolescents surveyed said they felt sleepy or tired during the day, while 51 percent of teen drivers said they have driven while drowsy in the past year. That number is alarming, although not quite as high as the 60 percent of adults who, according to a 2005 foundation report, said they drove while sleepy.

While physiology has something to do with it - some scientific research suggests that adolescents are biologically more likely to be awake late at night - the fact is most Americans are too busy and too wired to sleep.

The National Sleep Foundation study also showed that 97 percent of teens had at least one electronic device, such as a computer, telephone or television, in their bedrooms. And teens with four or more of these gadgets were more likely to fall asleep in school or while doing homework.

Likewise, the foundation's 2005 study of adults showed that nearly 30 percent had missed work or family events and activities because they were too sleepy. Nearly a quarter reported being late for work because of sleep-related issues.

In the rush to achieve all that the American lifestyle demands, it seems many people are missing out on the daily amounts of sleep recommended by the National Institutes of Health, which says preschoolers need 10 to 12 hours, school-age children need at least nine hours and adults - even seniors - need seven to eight hours of sleep each night.

While school districts such as Clark County's grapple with school starting times and bus schedules in an effort to accommodate increasingly sleepy student bodies, the most easily imposed solution seems clear: Americans need to go to bed.