A nationwide “Sleep Well, Be Well” campaign is being launched this week as part of the National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project, a collaboration between the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Sleep Research Society (SRS).
The campaign will promote widespread awareness of the dangers of chronic sleep loss and untreated sleep illness, encouraging Americans to achieve healthy sleep for improved overall health.
“The urgency of our message cannot be overstated: Sleep is a necessity, not a luxury, and the pursuit of healthy sleep should be one of our top priorities,” said Dr. Safwan Badr, president of the AASM and a national spokesperson for the Healthy Sleep project. “Sufficient sleep is one of the three pillars of a healthy lifestyle – as important as good nutrition and regular exercise. There’s no avoiding it or catching up: You must sleep well to be well.”
CDC data indicate that 28 percent of U.S. adults report sleeping six hours or less in a 24-hour period. Poor sleep health increases the risk of physical and mental health problems, mortality, accidents, injuries and disability.
“Poor sleep has a cumulative impact on nearly every key indicator of public health, including obesity, hypertension and diabetes,” said Janet B. Croft, PhD, senior chronic disease epidemiologist, in CDC’s Division of Population Health. “Healthy sleep is a vital sign of good health.”
The National Healthy Sleep Awareness Project was initiated in 2013 through a cooperative agreement between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The ongoing project involves a partnership between the AASM, CDC, Sleep Research Society and other collaborators to promote the importance of healthy sleep.