Most Iowans aren't getting enough sleep
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Most Iowa adults aren't getting enough sleep.
Why it matters: Operating without enough zzz's can dramatically increase your risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer, Axios' Carly Mallenbaum reports.
- Research has also linked insufficient sleep to obesity, depression, anxiety and dementia.
By the numbers: About 68% of Iowa adults say get less than seven hours of sleep per night, according to a study that tracked the sleep of Apple Watch users from February to June 2022.
Between the lines: Apple users might not reflect the general population, but the "fact that we don't get enough sleep [is] clear across the board," says Karin Johnson, a sleep medicine specialist and professor of neurology in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The bottom line: Stress, especially for employees in demanding jobs like healthcare, can cause a reduction in sleep, NPR reports.
- More adults are also living longer and chronic disease and ailments may keep them awake.