Unit 65 The American Sleep Deficit There are many things that divide Americans. But at least one thing unites us. Most of us -- 64 percent, to be precise -- are sleep-deprived. A recent survey by the National Sleep Foundation found that lack of sleep interferes with the daily activities of 40 percent of adults. Now before you yawn, rub your eyes and hit the snooze button, consider the consequences of living in a nation of sleepyheads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, sleep deprivation is responsible for at least 100,000 crashes and 1,500 deaths a year. But while we have national campaigns against drunk driving and speeding, there is no outcry against driving while sleepy. Maybe it's because we can't measure fatigue with a yawnometer. But I think the real answer lies in our workaholic culture's contempt for a time-waster like sleep. "I never sleep, because sleep is the cousin of death," Nas rapped in "N.Y. State of Mind". "Anything which tends to slow work down is a waste," Thomas Edison said, predicting that the light bulb would make 24-hour workdays possible. And, indeed, over the past century Americans have reduced their average nightly sleep time by more than 20 percent -- wearing the dark circles under their eyes like badges of honor. Our political leaders are particularly proud of how little rest they get. "None of us have had a great deal of sleep," a bleary eyed President Bush said after burning the midnight oil deciding whether or not to bomb Iraq. Unfortunately, there is a strong correlation between poor decision-making and lack of sleep. A NASA study found that 21 percent of pilot errors are related to fatigue. The American Airlines crash in Arkansas earlier this month may have been due to the pilots' impaired judgment after 13 1/2 straight hours on duty. And sleep deprivation has been a factor in some of the biggest disasters in recent history, including Chernobyl, the Exxon Valdez spill, the Challenger explosion and the marriage of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. Even putting aside disasters like these, sleep deprivation costs US businesses $100 billion a year in accidents and reduced productivity. Prof. Moore-Ede of the Harvard Medical School has recommended napping policies for corporations, an in some offices nap times are starting to replace coffee breaks. Dr. James Maas, author of "Power Sleep", is also an advocate of sleeping on the job: "By napping for 15 to 20 minutes, you can regain creativity and problem-solving skills." Imagination, originality, the ability to think -- all qualities conspicuously lacking in our leaders -are the first casualties of sleep deprivation. Those aspiring to leadership should read history. Thomas Jefferson, Winston Churchill and Ronald Reagan were all renowned nappers. "Don't think," Churchill warned his colleagues, "you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day. That's a foolish notion held by people who have no imagination. You will be able to accomplish more." Maybe we should spend more time worrying about how many hours our leaders are sleeping rather than whom they are sleeping with. Now that our budget is in the black, how about turning our attention to the national sleep deficit?
高考英语满分作文:回信(附名师点评)
高考英语满分作文精选汇总
2008年高考英语满分作文及名师评析:给动物园工作人员的一封信
高考英语满分作文精选:不同就业观(附翻译)
高考首轮复习方法:英语掌握词汇广阅读
高考英语满分作文名师点评汇总
2015中国高考作文题目双语版
历年高考英语满分作文及名师评析汇总
高考英语满分作文精选:模拟卷该难还是该易(附翻译)
高考英语作文范文:网络语言
高考英语满分作文精选:电视和收音机(附翻译)
高考英语作文范文:减负之后
高考英语满分作文:Green Action in Our Class(附名师点评)
高考英语满分作文精选:我的朋友(附翻译)
高考英语满分作文精选:中国旅游(附翻译)
高考英语满分作文:给房东留言(附名师点评)
高考英语作文范文:校园活动
2007年高考英语满分作文及名师评析:宾馆宣传
高考英语满分作文精选:给父母的建议(附翻译)
高考英语满分作文精选:运动的好处(附翻译)
2005年高考英语满分作文及名师评析:咨询情况
高考英语满分作文:慰问信(附名师点评)
高考英语满分作文精选:A teacher just likes a shining(附翻译)
高考英语满分作文精选:环境污染(附翻译)
高考英语满分作文精选:我的家乡(附翻译)
高考英语满分作文精选:关于灾难(附翻译)
2004年高考英语满分作文及名师评析:写信通知
高考英语满分作文:宾馆宣传(附名师点评)
2011年高考英语满分作文及名师评析:介绍租房情况
高考英语满分作文精选:给笔友回信(附翻译)
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |