Sleep is a luxury good: poor Americans get less than the rich

[KamaAina]

Last edited Mon Apr 6, 2015, 02:57 PM - Edit history (1)

http://www.vox.com/2015/4/3/8340319/sleep-rich-poor

This chart shows a stark divide between how much sleep rich and poor Americans get. The less you make, the likelier you are to sleep less than six hours a night:

In 2013, 35.2 percent of adults below the poverty line reported getting less than six hours of sleep per night. Among those earning 400 percent of the poverty line ($47,080 for an individual and $97,000 for a family of four) or above, the number falls to 27.7 percent.

Overall, Americans tend to sleep less than people in other countries — including Canada, Germany, and Mexico, just to name a few other places. It's enough of a problem that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called the lack of sleep in America an epidemic. This new data suggests that the epidemic's costs aren't borne equally: low-income Americans are suffering more.

edit: Once again, the DU software gagged on the parentheses in the link to the chart itself.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

1. Who can sleep when working your ass off isnt enough, that with that you will still

take 10 years off your life worrying about paying the bills,etc

[yeoman6987]

2. We have a strange work ethic

We start work at 730...a good many do anyway. Have an hour commute and a burdensome morning routine so we get up at 5. We get home at 630ish and by the time we eat and clean up it is 8-9 so we don't go to bed until 1130 after the news. And we do this day in and day out.


Europe starts work at 9-1 and then takes 3 hours off and goes back from 4-8. Would we like that? I don't know but it works for them. I lived in Italy and them seemed content with it.

[Taitertots]

5. I always laugh at Americans that think coming in early is a virtue

If anyone complains, I usually just say "I can show up early and sit on my ass drinking coffee and bullshitting for 2 hours if you want".

[yeoman6987]

6. True. I start at 830 and by some that is horrible

Lazy bum that I am. However as they walk out the door I don't return the nasty remarks. It is a weird thing about early work hours.

[Taitertots]

9. I'm closer to 9:00.

I tell the haters that time is fungible and they are doing nothing but punishing themselves.

I used to have to go to work early and it was lame. I tried to quit that job and they gave me a promotion to a job where I wouldn't have to come in early.

[SheilaT]

3. There's also a common belief that we don't need more

than five, maybe six hours of sleep. In reality, most people need between seven and nine hours. It does vary. People stay up late watching TV, or cruising the internet when they really ought to be sleeping. While I do have sympathy for those working two jobs, or jobs that require twelve hour shifts, a lot of people voluntarily don't get enough sleep.

Me? I've always treasured my sleep, and most of my life I've managed to get enough and then some.

[kelly1mm]

4. My wife and I retired last June. and we get 10+ hours a nght! It is

AWESOME. No better feeling than waking up naturally (sans alarm clock.

I totally understand how those who are poor who are more likely to be single parents with transportation issues and maybe multiple jobs would eat up may hours a week in the 'logistics' of life.

[Phentex]

8. I crave sleep more than anything!

and when I think of retiring I think "I just wanna take a nap whenever I feel like it!"

And I work a normal job with flexible hours. I cannot imagine having a long commute, long hours, family and all that goes with that and being this tired all the time.

[cwydro]

7. I wonder how many of the rich

use ambien, lunesta, and other such drugs.

A lot of them do I would wager. And those drugs are as bad, or worse, for people as lack of sleep.