May 2023 PSA: May is Better Sleep Month

Good sleep is often an overlooked priority in our fast-paced lives, but, as with healthy diet and exercise, is crucial to our physical, emotional, and mental health.

The aim of Better Sleep Month is to encourage people to establish better sleep patterns. Many experts believe that 7 to 8 hours of rest at night is optimal, however, the quality of sleep during those hours is just as important.

More than a quarter of the U.S. population doesn’t get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation has become so prevalent that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identify it as a public health epidemic. Inadequate sleep can lead to health problems including high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, obesity, and depression.

How sleep affects your health from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute provides details on the consequences of sleep deprivation

6 steps to better sleep from Mayo Clinic

10 Reasons to Get More Sleep from Healthline