Kentucky Isn’t Getting Enough Sleep and I Want to Know Why

Don't tell me algorithms aren't floating through the air, watching over us and listening to every word. It's one thing when I discuss something, and the next thing you know, a related post or ad appears in my Facebook feed. But coming off a night during which I was up until past 2 AM, it's somewhat peculiar that what greeted me when I opened it this morning was a study about sleep deprivation in the U.S.

SLEEP DEPRIVATION

I'm not an insomniac; don't get me wrong. I average about six hours of sleep, give or take, and I'm a heavy sleeper when I'm sleeping. So it's restful when it happens. I just wish it happened for longer periods.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which published the study, took their information from data collected from the 50 states. Since I haven't participated in any sleep studies, they don't know about me, so my issues played no part. Then again, I might make the number worse.

SLEEP-DEPRIVED KENTUCKY

I'm not sure what's up in all those southern states, Ohio, Nevada, and Hawaii, but this is a static map. Visit the CDC's sleep data site, and you'll get the interactive version. Just hover over Kentucky (or any state) for more detailed information. When you're on the site, you can do the same with this county-by-county graphic.

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A study at Kentucky Health News dives into it more deeply and reveals that the Commonwealth's sleeplessness issues skew more heavily toward Appalachia. KHN, which suggests that environmental factors are a culprit, also references a study by the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Germany. The research facility indicates that climate change, specifically warmer temperatures, contributes heavily to sleep deprivation. I know I can't sleep easily in a warm room, so that makes perfect sense to me.

HOW MUCH SLEEP DO WE NEED?

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society say that adults need a minimum of seven hours of sleep every night. What I wouldn't give for seven hours of sleep every night.

Again, I know that's not impossible, so I need make the necessary adjustments. As I sit here writing this while drinking coffee, the irony is not lost on me.