Losing sleep? You’re not alone; Mayo Clinic doctor weighs in

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – In the last two years, the pandemic has impact American sleep patterns. In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health, up to 19 percent of adults in the U.S. report not getting enough sleep regularly.

NIS also reports that more and more Americans take melatonin in order to sleep.

Last week, a Mayo Clinic neurologist and cardiologist teamed up to share some insight on the recent loss of sleep - and to spread awareness on the issue in light of National Sleep Awareness Month.

Neurologist and psychiatrist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, Dr. Lois Krahn, said there are some serious disrupters that impact sleep loss.

“For people who have young children, it can be hard for them to have an undisturbed nights sleep because their children need them, because they are very young,” she said. “It could be the temperature in the room, the lighting in the room, the quality of their mattress and their sleeping situation. But then, of course, there are medical conditions. Breathing patterns, leg twitches, sleepwalking, all can interfere with getting a good nights sleep. And then lastly, there is what’s going on in a person’s life. What they are thinking about,how stressed they are.”