Is the new sleep sex?

Experts agree that 8.5 hours is the optimal amount of sleep each night; however, Americans, on average, get just 6.8 hours a night. (ABCNEWS.com)
From GMA
Feb. 9, 2006
Sleep is the new sex, according to a new investigation by Forbes magazine.
"Sleep is something everyone needs and wants," said Melanie Wells, senior editor of Forbes. "We have to have it, and we have trouble getting it these days. And increasingly people are paying a lot of money for relief."

Forbes estimates sales of prescription drugs, bedding, mattresses, and other sleep-inducing gadgets are a $10 billion to $12 billion a year business, and the business is growing.

Experts agree that 8.5 hours is the optimal amount of sleep each night. However, Americans, on average, get about 6.8 hours a night. About 10 percent of Americans have trouble falling asleep and then staying asleep. Others say they don't have the time, as the 24/7 society forces them to perform more and do more on less sleep.

Sleep deprivation takes both a physical and financial toll. Research shows sleep is catching up with diet and exercise in terms of influencing overall health. Lack of sleep has been linked to obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Not getting enough sleep led to $16 billion in annual health-care costs and $50 billion in lost productivity.

"We're just starting to learn from science how important sleep is," Wells said. "This information surfacing just increases people's anxiety about not being able to fall asleep, so you can see how it's a gold mine for companies in the business of helping us fall asleep."

In 2005, 42 million sleeping-pill prescriptions were filled, up 60 percent since 2000. Americans buy about $2 billion worth of sleeping pills a year, and that's expected to grow to $3.8 billion in the near future.

Some doctors worry about significant side effects of sleeping pills, including next-day "hangovers," sleepwalking, amnesia and addiction.

There are also plenty of sleep-aid gadgets on the market, ranging from sound-soothing machines that cost about $100 to mattresses covered in layers of silk for $20,000.

Do these devices really work?

Could you make this question any longer???

man i fell asleep reading this LONG AS% question!!!

Nope. What matters is you. The homeless don't have all those stuff and I bet you they sleep soundly.

So?

Well different things work for different people but I have heard from some people that music or the machines that play like ocean or forests sounds do soothe them and help them fall asleep. Just like there are those that like using a blindfold when they sleep and it works for them, personally, I tried one of those once and it really didn't help.

I think it depends on what the person does. Do they have physically demanding jobs? Do they work out? Do they sit behind a desk all day? How stressful are things?

For us Army pukes, we have no trouble sleeping, but we have a physically demanding job and workout. We also train to sleep when we can. I can't count how many times I have been on top of a tank sleeping soundly while 120mm tank rounds fly by and machine guns are roaring and not woken up :D I think that by physically tiring yourself out everyday and insuring you put your mind to rest by putting the stress aside for 6-8 hours can do it. Other than that, YES! Sleep is my new Sex!!! LOL

Nah, I get one more than the other and while otherwise fine..man I'm tired, lol.

The thing that works best for me is to listen to an audio book. I guess it works like a kid's bed time story.

Also I saw a program that talked about people being more prone to depression when they lack sleep.