Researchers surveyed over 30,000 middle-aged and older Canadians to find out what factors influence the quality of their sleep. Respondents were asked to rate their sleep duration, satisfaction and quality. The researchers also analyzed the relationship between sleep and health.
Sleep deprivation and poor sleep quality are common problems. Nearly half of Canadian adults complain of some form of sleep disorder. This has serious consequences for overall health and quality of life.
Sleep deprivation increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity, and shortens life. Scientists estimate that Canada loses up to $21 billion a year because workers are sleep-deprived and unable to work due to resulting health problems.
Sleep quality is directly linked to socio-economic factors: income level, home ownership and lifestyle. Economic inequality means that sleep health also differs between people of different social classes. Not surprisingly, rich people sleep better.
Similarly, women, whatever their social status, sleep less and less well on average than men.
The situation is similar for people from smaller ethnic groups. Blacks and Asians are much more likely to have sleep problems than whites. This is also due to social inequality between different races.
However, sleep improves with age: after 65, people are much less likely to complain about the quality of their sleep. They also sleep longer than younger people, which may be explained by less pressure at work and the fact that children are growing up.
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