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The average American worker loses 11.3 days in lost productivityannually because of insomnia; that is equivalent to a loss of$2,280 each, researchers report in the journal Sleep . Insomnia is a condition characterized by difficulty falling asleep andremaining asleep. It includes a wide spectrum of sleep disorders,from not enough sleep to lack of quality sleep. Ronald Kessler, lead author, Harvard Medical School, said: "We were shocked by the enormous impact insomnia has on the averageperson's life. It's an underappreciated problem. Americans are notmissing work because of insomnia. They are still going to theirjobs but accomplishing less because they're tired. In aninformation-based economy, it's difficult to find a condition thathas a greater effect on productivity." Insomnia is sometimes separated into three kinds: Transient insomnia - symptoms last for only a few days or weeks atthe most. Acute (short-term) insomnia - symptoms last for several weeks. Chronic insomnia - symptoms last for some months and even years. All age groups can be affected by insomnia. More adult females areaffected than adult males. Insomnia can lead to anxiety , depression , obesity , poor work/school performance. It can also undermine a human'simmune system, which in turn raises the risk and severity oflong-term disease. In this study, Kessier and team gathered data on 7,428 employeesfrom the American Insomnia Study, which was funded bypharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis. The individuals were askedabout their sleeping patterns, work performance, among otherquestions. They found that 23.2% of the participants had insomnia. Whileworkers aged at least 65 years had the lowest rates of insomnia(14.3%), it affected 27.1% of working women and 19.7% working men. The authors added that clinical sleep medicine expertsindependently examined a sample of participants to confirm thereliability of their estimates. With such a massive economic burden on the country caused byinsomnia, Kessler believes screening and treatment programs forworkers should be set up. However, insomnia is not seen as anillness. So its effect on lost working days or man-hours is ignoredby employers. Kessler said: "Now that we know how much insomnia costs the American workplace,the question for employers is whether the price of intervention isworthwhile. Can U.S. employers afford not to address insomnia inthe workplace?" Treating insomnia can vary, from approximately $200 annually for ageneric sleeping medication, to $1,200 for behavioral therapy totreat the disorder, said James K. Walsh, study co-author, from theSleep Medicine and Research Center at St. Luke's Hospital inChesterfield, Mo. 19% of individuals with less than a high school education werefound to suffer from insomnia, compared to college graduates at21.5%. People with some college education, at 26.4% insomniaprevalence, had the highest rates, followed by workers with a highschool education (25.3%). Insomnia can be caused by physical as well as psychologicalfactors. Frequently, an underlying medical condition may be thecause of chronic insomnia, while a recent event or occurrence ismore likely to be the cause of transient insomnia. Insomnia can be caused by drugs, alcohol, medications, caffeine,nicotine, disruptions in circadian rhythm ( jet lag , shift work), stress , anxiety, depression, brain lesions, chronic pain, and severalmedical conditions. Having a loud snorer as a partner is a commoncause of insomnia. Written by Christian Nordqvist Copyright: Medical News Today Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today Additional References Citations. I am an expert from cctvcamerassystem.com, while we provides the quality product, such as CCD Camera Module , CCTV DVR Kit, Mini SPY Cameras,and more.
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