What is the economic impact of sleep deprivation in the United States?
We think that the cost to society of sleep disorders is approximately $90 billion. That includes lost productivity, absenteeism at work, people getting into accidents, the cost of medications for sleeping pills or for stimulants-all these things cost money. How does poor quality of sleep affect quality of life? The true impact of unsatisfactory sleep on the quality of life of individuals is probably impossible to calculate. It’s often said, “If mama ain’t happy, nobody’s happy.” If somebody in the family does not sleep, it affects the entire family. Children tiptoe around the house not to disturb the mother; she may feel bad because she doesn’t want to disturb the family; the family won’t make plans for the next day until they see how their non-sleeping member feels. And the more they try to make the problem better, the worse it gets, the more frustration the family feels. And I’ve met many couples in my work; I’ve never met two insomniacs married to one another. There are higher divor
