ResalesCan"t Get Enough Shuteye? Leave Town
It may not be your bed.
Perhaps you shouldn"t blame your partner.
And your lifestyle may not be at fault.
If you aren"t getting enough Zs, you may be living in the wrong town.
Some towns are, well, sleepy towns and some aren"t.
Don"t doze off just yet.
BestPlaces.Net publisher Bert Sperling has put together a real sleeper of a best places study with "Sleep In The City" -- a look at towns were residents are more apt to get a good night"s sleep.
In partnership with Sanofi-Synthelabo Inc., makers of the prescription Ambien sleep aid, Sperling set out this time to tell insomniacs where to go.
The slumber land study used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau but was based primarily on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data from a nationwide telephone survey of more than 250,000 households in which residents were questioned about physical and emotional health -- markers for good sleep.
Sperling"s study then ranked America"s 50 most populous metropolitan areas based on five criteria: the number of days in the past month that residents reported not getting enough sleep or rest, average length of daily commute, divorce rate, unemployment rate, and overall happiness index. The happiness index was derived from questions about a person"s physical, mental, and emotional health.
Not surprisingly, Minneapolis, frequently named as a top town by many measures, was identified as the city where residents have the easiest time getting a restful night"s nap. Residents reported having nearly 23 nights of good slumber during an average month. Minneapolis also clinched the title of best city for sleep because of high scores on overall happiness, short commutes, and low unemployment.
The study found cities with higher scores for overall happiness and low unemployment also had a higher number of nights with sound sleep.
Not surprising, low levels of happiness and high levels of unemployment can keep you tossing and turning all night. Detroit earned the distinction as the worst place for sleep -- a low number of nights with good sleep -- due to high unemployment rate and a low happiness index.
Here are the top 10 cities for sawing wood and the top 10 towns where it"s tougher to catch 40 winks.
Sleep In The City
SlumberlandSleepless In...
Minneapolis, MNDetroit, MI
Anaheim, CACleveland, OH
San Diego, CANashville, TN
Raleigh-Durham, NCCincinnati, OH
Washington, DCNew Orleans, LA
Northern NJNew York, NY
Chicago, ILLas Vegas, NV
Boston, MAMiami, FL
Austin, TXSan Francisco, CA
Kansas City, MOSt. Louis, MO
Source: BestPlaces.Net
"Our researchers initially thought we would validate beliefs that an individual"s financial security or the quality of an individual"s relationships would have an overriding impact on one"s happiness," said Sperling.
"However, the conclusion appears clear: getting consistent restful sleep is strongly correlated to being happy and productive, and feeling healthy both mentally and emotionally."
"Sleep has a significant effect on a person"s well-being; persistent poor sleep can cause people to feel "out of touch" with what"s going on in their lives," said Ellen Miller, MD, sleep expert and clinical assistant professor of medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
"Not getting enough sleep may lead to increased irritability, risk for depression, or weight gain. Recent evidence also suggests that persistent poor sleep, left untreated, may even cause more serious conditions."