NIH research featured in National Geographic Channel documentary on sleep | WPN World People News

The National Institutes of Health, in partnership with the National Geographic Channel and The Public Good Projects, will draw the nation’s attention to the health consequences of sleep deprivation and what keeps Americans up at night. The documentary, Sleepless in America, premieres on the National Geographic Channel on Sunday, November 30th at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

“Feeling tired is only one consequence of getting poor quality sleep,” said NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. “NIH-funded research has helped illuminate a wide array of health challenges stemming from chronic sleep problems. Researchers have uncovered links between poor sleep and health issues ranging from obesity to cardiovascular disease to mental health disorders.”

Common belief may hold that it gets harder to sleep the older you get, but sleep problems take a great toll on all ages, including young Americans: 70 percent of high school adolescents are sleep deprived, increasing their risk of suicide, mood problems and delinquency. Millions of U.S. adults have sleep apnea, and up to 80 percent don’t even know it. Recent research has also shown that poor sleep may cause cancer to grow twice as fast in lab mice, and that sleeping too little might lead to an increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

“Chances are you didn’t sleep enough last night. Lack of sleep is a surprisingly serious public health issue, and it’s essential to enlighten the public before the problem becomes unmanageable,” said John Hoffman of The Public Good Projects.

The special also brings viewers into the lives of people who have been profoundly affected by our society’s failure to prioritize sleep. The film also explores the larger societal forces behind America’s sleeplessness, from the light bulb to work schedules.

Source: U.S. National Institutes of Health