LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Valley residents aren't getting enough sleep. Stress is a key reason why, but there's a number of contributing factors.
13 Action News anchor Tricia Kean spoke with a local expert who says quality sleep needs to be a priority for everyone.
SLEEP CYCLE
A show at 10:00 PM, dinner at midnight or drinks at 2:00 AM. In a 24-hour town like Las Vegas, it's easy for your social life or job to throw your sleep cycle out of whack.
"The phone is a huge issue. I mean, most of my work is done through social media. So my phone is literally attached to my hip," says Mylique Rivera of Las Vegas.
He says work has been keeping him up at night. Working long hours and constantly on the go, he felt like he was always tired.
"I was having trouble falling asleep. Then on the nights where I would feel like I'm getting to sleep very fast, I wouldn't stay asleep. And then I wake up around 4 to 6 times a night," says Mylique.
It turns out Mylique isn't alone. New research published by the Journal of the American Medical Association says sleep deprivation affects about half of American adults.
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey looked at sleep data for more than 9,000 Americans. It found 30% had trouble falling or staying asleep. And about 27% were very sleepy during the day.
"I think it's a very big concern in Las Vegas," says Shiven Chaudhry, an Internal Medicine and Integrative Medicine Doctor.
He sees patients struggling to get enough sleep or restful sleep, and suffering the consequences.
TROUBLE SIGNS
"If you're not sleeping the number of hours that's recommended, which is for an adult, 7 to 9 hours, I think there's a problem. Other ways to figure it out, if you're having things like brain fog, if you're having headaches, if you feel fatigued," says Dr. Chaudhry.
He says the problem is sleep just isn't a priority. We live in a society where more value is put on productivity and efficiency.
To help his patients, he looks at a number of factors.
"In a sleep assessment, what we're going to do is we're going to start off with your nutrition. Whether it's caffeine, sugary drinks or just micro-nutrients that are missing in your diet," says Dr. Chaudhry.
He says it's important to understand how some foods may be impacting you.
Next, he looks into how physically active you are during the day. Dr. Chaudhry says research show a lack of physical movement can actually lead to insomnia.
"We're also going to look at your sleeping conditions. Is the environment right or is there any stress in your environment that might be causing deprivation of sleep?" says Dr. Chaudhry.
Dr. Chaudhry says it comes down to making a real lifestyle change.
HEALTHY ROUTINE
"Routine is very important. It's actually the core component of something called cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. Now, this fancy term just means that what we're trying to do is restructure the narrative around sleep," says Dr. Chaudhry.
Mylique says the treatment works. He made the recommended changes, saw quick results and recommends others make sleep a bigger priority.
"I think sleep is the number one thing that keeps us at a natural balance. Just mentally, physically, emotionally. It's something that we should be paying attention to," says Mylique.
