"Generation Y" is significantly sleepy WASHINGTON, DC -- "Youthful energy" may be a myth for most of America's 18-29 year olds, according to a poll by the National Sleep Foundation. More than half of the country's young adults report "waking up feeling unrefreshed" (55%), and the percentage of young adults suffering from significant daytime sleepiness (33%) is comparable to that of shift workers (29%), a notoriously sleepy group who try to remain alert at times when their brains are naturally inclined to sleep. Burning the candle at both ends could be one explanation for the sleepiness of the so-called "Generation Y." NSF's 2000 Sleep in America omnibus poll found that one out of two (53%) younger adults say that they will sleep less in order to get more done, and an almost equal percentage (55%) admit to postponing bedtime to watch TV or use the Internet. Getting to work and handling on-the job stress is more challenging for younger adults due to sleepiness: More than one-third (36%) of 18-29 year olds report difficulty getting up for work (compared with 20% of 30-64 year-olds and 9% of those 65 and older). Nearly one-quarter of younger adults (22%) are occasionally or frequently late to work due to sleepiness (compared to 11% of 30-64 year olds and 5% of workers over 65 years old). Forty percent of younger adults are sleepy at work at least two days a week or more (compared to 23% of 30-64 year olds and 19% of those over 65). "At any age, the effects of sleepiness range from annoying to deadly," says NSF Executive Director Richard Gelula. "But younger adults appear to be at a higher risk for suffering consequences due to sleepiness. Most frightening is that a full 60% of this age group has driven while drowsy in the past year, with nearly one out of four (24%) revealing they have dozed off at the wheel. Twenty-two percent of young adults also report driving faster when they're tired. These statistics indicate a large population of sleepy risk-takers on the roads, and that combination can be deadly." Despite poll findings confirming that sleepiness is a problem in the U.S., nearly two-thirds of Americans have never been asked about their sleep by a physician, and among the young, that figure soars to 75%. Most Americans (53%) also appear resigned to suffer in silence: on average only one in five has ever raised the issue of sleep with a physician, dropping to 12% of 18-29 years olds. Ironically, of those who do seek out sleep aids, 26% of young adults turn to alcohol, which can actually disrupt sleep. The National Sleep Foundation's (NSF) 2000 Sleep in America omnibus poll was conducted by phone during October and November 1999, among a representative sampling of the civilian household population living in the continental United States. Results have an error range of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Also see: More than ever, tired Americans, young and old, are experiencing consequences