We are not getting enough sleep. A company (albeit one which sells sleeping aids) found more than two-thirds of Australians were getting less than eight hours of sleep per night. Sleepless Australians put "anxiety" at the top of their blame lists.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But we didn't need a survey to tell us what many of us knew already. Too often, we wake up feeling less than refreshed, less than ready for the day.
This isn't just a matter of discomfort but of health.
There is now a large body of research indicating insufficient sleep, particularly in childhood and adolescence, can lead to difficulty in concentrating. It is one of the forerunners of poor memory, depressed mood, and poor emotional regulation, as well as long-term health problems such as diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular risk.
In plain English, science confirms what we know. A lack of sleep does make us irritable and unreliable - but it also makes us ill.
The reason for this ill health among the sleepless is clear: when we lack sleep our immune systems are weaker so we tend to pick up infections more easily.
READ MORE:
People who are perpetually tired tend to get sick more easily.
So addressing our lack of sleep is important, both for our own health but also for the national economy. It is not only physical health which suffers when people are deprived of sleep, according to the youth mental health charity Headspace.
"When you get enough sleep, it's often easier to manage your emotions," it says.
"This can help you have more patience and help you deal with any stress, including relationship, work or study difficulties. Also, it can help reduce your risk of mental health challenges in the future."
The Growing Up in Australia report revealed around one-quarter of 12- to 13-year-olds and a half of 16- to 17-year-olds were not getting the recommended minimum eight hours of sleep on school nights. As they got older, their bedtimes got later but their awake times remained the same. Sleeping hours were squeezed.
Last year, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport issued a well-thought-out report, Bedtime Reading: Inquiry into Sleep Health Awareness in Australia.
It made 11 recommendations. The first, and most general one, was "that the Australian government prioritise sleep health as a national priority and recognise its importance to health and wellbeing alongside fitness and nutrition".
The government immediately said it would support the recommendation.
Its Institute of Family Studies recommended education programs for young people to highlight the importance of good sleep. Parents could "discuss the importance of reasonable and regular bedtimes and limits on screen use before bed".
But solving the problem remains even after we recognise it: how do we succeed in getting more sleep?
Dr Carole Huang who started the Canberra Hospital Sleep Disorders Service said: "It's really important to establish a good pattern of sleep, a regular bedtime, a regular wake-up time, and have some sort of routine to relax and wind down.
"If people are not asleep after 20 minutes, they should get up, get out of the bedroom and come back when they're sleepy.
"Having a suitable environment for sleep is critical, a bedroom that is reasonably quiet, fairly dark, a comfortable temperature, and keep off devices an hour before bed."
Her advice should make your life more pleasant but also longer.
