A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC survey about sleep time shows that single mothers get the least amount of sleep compared to all the other demographic groups in the USA. The research also found out that single moms have the worst quality of sleep among any other group.
According to the survey results reported by the Los Angeles Times, 44 percent of single mothers living with children get less than the recommended amount of sleep daily which is seven hours.
Single moms also have the hardest time falling asleep with 24 percent saying they have trouble falling asleep at least four times weekly. They also had the worst quality of sleep, with 28 percent saying that they have trouble staying asleep at least four times every week.
Dr. Stuart Quan, a sleep medicine expert and researcher at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston tells Live Science that the results are not surprising at all because of single parents' lifestyle habits.
"People tend to sacrifice sleep when they have competing priorities, such as work, family responsibilities and social obligations," says Quan.
According to Quan, there are also several health issues that can arise from lack of sleep. Some of the most common harmful effects of lack of sleep include cardiac disease, increased blood pressure, and diabetes. It can also weaken the immune system which will make the person more vulnerable to different diseases and infections.
Lack of sleep can also affect the work or school performance of a person because of the reduced mental capabilities and emotional problems such as depression and moodiness, according to Healthline.
The results of this recent CDC survey about sleep time should hopefully promote more awareness about the difficulties faced by single mothers, as well as the dangers that lack of sleep poses on their health and the other aspects of their lives.
