Why didn’t you get a good night’s sleep last night? Or, were you one of the lucky ones who slept the whole night through and woke up after 8 hours of restful sleep? Here are what 1000 adults had to say about what was keeping them awake at night and 3 things they’d give up just to get the shuteye they want. The study allowed participants to select all the things that kept them up at night and then ranked the answers.
5 Things People Say Are Keeping Them Up at Night
1. Aches and Pains. It’s hard to get comfortable and sleep soundly when something hurts. Whether it’s sore muscles from being a weekend warrior or a chronic pain problem, aches and pains ranked the number 1 stealer of a good night’s rest. More than two-thirds (69%) of the responders put them on their list.
2. Family and Life Stresses. We worry. We worry about the kids, about family problems and about our own personal concerns. It all adds up. Whether it’s worrying about if the refrigerator is about to die or the way your son is struggling in math, family and life stresses were reported as keeping 60% of the participants awake at night.
3. Work Stresses. Work comes in third – below family stresses and those aches and pains. Under 50% reported that concerns about their jobs were keeping them awake at night. Still, that’s a lot of adults worrying about the 9 to 5 part of their lives.
4. The Surroundings. It may be the noisy neighbor or the traffic. It could be the light from the alarm clock, but over 30% of the study participants said that environmental noises and distractions were coming between them and a good night’s rest.
5. Social Stresses. Will he call? What should I wear? Does she like me? Will I get invited? Social stresses came in 5th in the survey.
What They’d Give Up for a Good Night’s Rest
1. A Vacation Day. Out of the 1,000 adults in the study, 70% said they’d give up a vacation day if meant they could sleep better.
2. A Lifestyle Luxury. Things like cable TV are a luxury. They’re also things that people in the study would give up for better sleep.
4. Money. It’s surprising but almost 1/3 of the respondents said they would give up a bonus or, even, a raise if it could “buy” that allusive good sleep.
We know about caffeine and blue light, but what may be keeping people awake is worry and aches and pains. Learning to put aside our day-to-day stresses and getting help to control aches and pains – whether that’s a trip to the doctor or an over-the-counter pain reliever – may be the keys to getting a restful night’s sleep. Think about it. What’s keeping you awake? What can you do about it? Act and get the healthful sleep you need.
