The Hidden Cost of Poor Sleep: How Your Sleep Habits Impact Every Aspect of Life

This recent white paper I wrote that Irena has attached a link to in this blog post raises questions about the Sleep Disorder epidemic in America (and the world for that matter) and the significance of improving sleep quality, regularity and duration related to overall health and wellness choices. Research confirms that adults require 7-9 hours of quality sleep for the body and mind to work efficiently and to allow cellular repair for ongoing wellness. So why do Americans struggle to give sleep critical attention?

If you are truly committed to improving your quality of life, improving your sleep quality is critical. Accept the reality that your decisions are creating consequences for your overall health and wellness outside of a legitimate medical condition. How you make choices, what choices you allow to remain in place (nutrition, exercise, substance abuse, stress), who and how you socialize with others in-person and on social media platforms have a direct cause and effect on your sleep quality, job performance, personal health and emotional well-being. Your choices impact your family, friends, co-workers and everyone you interact with daily.

Did you know that...

50-70 million Americans have sleep disorders (with 80% undiagnosed or ignored)?
The Center for Disease Control & Prevention describes sleep deprivation in America as a public health epidemic.
The top leading causes of death in America are directly related to dietary and lifestyle choices? Sleep impacts choices of what we eat and drink.
Over 40,000 Americans died last year related to a sleep apnea disorder?
40% of adults over 20 are considered obese, and 50% are overweight?
Health and Fitness Apps: 80% of users abandon them within 14 days, and the average daily app use is only 2.5 minutes. Other studies suggest that over 70% don’t use it after three months.
One survey suggests that over 70% of adults say bad health inhibits them from being happier. (Impacts of poor sleep in the mix.)

Here are some proven strategies to help improve overall health and wellness

Take sleep preparation and adequate amounts of sleep very seriously.
Don’t buy the marketing pitches that a product will solve your problems when the consequences of your inaction or indecision are really the issue.
If you need medical help, seek out a doctor who can help you.
Trust science and do your research.
If you need emotional support and behavioral tools to improve your decision-making and emotional health, then call a licensed professional to learn.
If you see your habit patterns leading you down a continuous path of poor sleep, engage the help of a trusted friend/advisor/partner/family member to support your desire to make a change.
Seek resilient friends, avoid negative people, and be prepared for change, which can be temporarily uncomfortable in the early stages. Change is good and needed in your life if you are not improving your daily life, work, and health.
Excuses are excuses. Commitment is your choice; if you can’t do it alone, seek professional help.

We encourage all coaches, therapists, counselors, doctors, and educators to read this paper, understand the research, and become more aware of how sleep, diet, and physical activity impact every aspect of health.

Reference

Riendeau, Russ (2025). America's Wake-up Call: Sleep Disorders & Poor Wellness Habits Share the Same Bed

About The Writer

Dr. Russ Riendeau is a long-time peak performance/wellness coach for high-performing executives seeking new dimensions of performance in their career, overall wellness strategy and future adventures. A Mayo Clinic Certified & Trained Wellness Coach with PhD in psychology, numerous TEDx Talks, author of 14 books, 7 albums of original music, artist/sculptor, aviator and marathoner, Dr. Riendeau writes and speaks on health and wellness issues. A member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and the Academy of American Poets, he’s also a Titleist Performance Institute Certified Golf Professional. He lives and sleeps with a CPAP machine in St. Charles, IL. www.russriendeau.com