1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
"Dying for sleep Restless nights can bring grave consequences" by Michael Schroeder. Editors: Kristy Broering and Sue Wiltz.
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
July 1, 2010.
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
As a society, we're getting heavier, taking more medications, working longer hours — unplugging later and plugging in earlier — all of which conspire to wreck our sleep. Twenty percent, or roughly 60 million people, sleep less than six hours a night, up from 12 percent in 1998. Lack of sleep is attributed to 100,000 car accidents and 1,500 deaths on the road each year, but researchers say you're also at increased risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes or stroke if you regularly get less than seven to nine hours a night. For example, new data from the Centers for Disease Control shows a higher proportion of residents in the "stroke belt" — a grouping of southern states — report insufficient sleep as well. "If you develop a sleep debt, one day you will pay for it," says Dr. Antonio Culebras, a prominent researcher based in Syracuse, N.Y.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
We reviewed reports published by the National Sleep Foundation, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Institute of Medicine, Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sanofi-Aventis U.S., Centers for Disease Control and American Heart Association. We came away with a picture of sleep loss that extends far beyond the effects of particular disorders, such as sleep apnea. Simply put: A lack of sleep hastens death. We also polled more than 1,000 Angie's List members about their sleep habits, and found 50 percent get less than 6 hours a night, 30 percent have trouble dozing off and 20 percent have consulted a sleep professional about a problem. More than 140 respondents detailed their sleep problems.
5. Explain types of human sources used.
The Angie's List poll respondents provided us with several compelling anecdotes for our story, including the lede. Nurse anesthetist Katy Miller, who fell asleep at the wheel with her twin daughters in the car, acknowledged that colleagues had urged her to get more sleep after witnessing her repeatedly nodding off in the operating room. To become experts on the subject, we spoke with prominent sleep researchers from the National Sleep Foundation, along with a clinical psychologists board certified in sleep medicine and multiple sleep specialists across the U.S. One doctor noted that makeup sleep over a weekend doesn't undo a sleepless week. "Two nights is not going to make up for five," he told us. "It's more likely that five nights would make up for one." We received permission to take pictures of a patient during a sleep study in Charlotte, N.C., which resulted in an online slideshow on our website.
6. Results (if any).
After our story ran, we heard from sleep researchers and specialists thanking us for increasing awareness about this health issue. Also, other Angie's List members wrote to us about their own sleep problems. We've continued to see research on the link between sleep loss and heart problems that extend beyond the increased incidence of heart attacks and similar problems associated with sleep apnea. People are starting to take note.
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
We have not run any corrections or clarifications, and no one has challenged the story's accuracy.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
So many Americans — an estimated 50 to 70 million — have a sleep disorder, so it's imperative to find the best sources willing to share their struggles with getting a good night's rest. For all the landmark studies on a subject like this, it's the narrative — and the subjects who live with a lack of sleep — that really grabs the reader.