An angry commenter asked me yesterday how I sleep at night.
With so much corruption going on in our fair state, maybe the question is, how do South Dakotans sleep better than everyone else in America?
According to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, South Dakotans get better sleep than anyone else in the United States. Nearly 72 percent reported getting a least seven hours of sleep at night, compared with just 56 percent of adults in Hawaii.
Across the rest of the country, one in three adults don’t get seven hours of sleep each night, a recommended amount from the National Institutes of Health.
The fact that South Dakotans did so well in the study is reflective of the state’s health education and the region’s notable rural landscape, said Dr. Robert Finley, a doctor at Regional Medical Clinic – Neurology and Rehabilitation in Rapid City [Kayla Gahagan, “Study Shows South Dakotans Sleep Better Than Anyone Else in US,” Rapid City Journal, 2016.03.19].
Dr. Finley suggests a variety of factors that could reflect our relative somnolence: shorter commutes, less noise and lights, no oil or gas boom driving crazy working hours. Hmmm… noise and light pollution?
When I look at the original CDC data for 2014 (reported in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report for February 19, 2016), I see that the only other states to break 70% for getting at least seven hours of sleep a night are Colorado (right behind our 71.6% with 71.5%) and Minnesota (70.8%), and they both have our favorite bright and noisy metro centers. The only demographic groups breaking 70% are folks 65 and older (73.7%) and college graduates (71.5%).
So then I wonder, are we South Dakotans a bunch of graduate geezers? We aren’t as old or as smart as we might think: we rank 37th for median age, 30th for households with at least one person age 65 or older, and 35th for percentage of folks with bachelor’s degrees. Interestingly, when I test those figures with correlations to the reported restfulness from each state, I find tenuous negative correlations between ages and healthy sleep. Higher median ages and percentages of households with a 65+ member suggest a faintly higher chance of finding a lower percentage of folks getting a good night’s sleep… perhaps suggesting Grandma and Grandpa are still keeping the neighbors up with the Rolling Stones on their stereos while the kids are keeping Drake and Selena to themselves on their earbuds. Degree completion has a similarly slight positive correlation, but none of those numbers suggested stronger factors than those Finley suggests.
The CDC notes that these figures are based on self-reported sleep patterns. It is thus possible that we South Dakotans are tossing and turning more than we care to admit.
CDC does not offer comparable data on how many government officials are asleep at the switch when they are supposed to be watching for corruption.
I’ve heard it said that sociopaths, psychopaths, etc. sleep more soundly than normal people.
Like babies and weed smokers, Mr. C. It’s a medical fact.
The Black Hills region needs to do something about its light pollution. Rapid City is a lost cause for light and other pollution – the rest of the hills, including the ring-cities need to snuff out the lights to increase tourism, reduce costs, and make it a more attractive place to live.
Yes, especially the Piedmont people, and also the Custer people. There are too many lights. Rapid City could be dimmed a bit as well.
Besides the usual garbage pollution, it is good people are paying attention to lights and noises. Did you also know there is stink pollution?
downward facing outdoor lighting was the rule in Lawrence county. why not Rapid City ect?
after lisa from platte area wondered how raising inquiry about SDDOE Gear UP fraud allows cory to sleep at night, I wondered why cory doesn’t write more like mercer, often very gently about state mucky muck business. then he could sleep better too.
meanwhile, 1. how are 770,000 south dakotans sleeping knowing EB5 and MCEC frauds, deaths, murders, arson and suicide remain unsolved? 2. how are 770,000 south dakotans sleeping at night knowing the 80,000 resident Native American Indians in the poorest counties and villages in the USA had all of the land and resources stolen and the nation’s military was complicit in the nations plan of genocide, and finally, 3. how do 770,000 south dakotans sleep at night knowing 55,000 residents are excluded from medical coverage, 30-90 of them are dying as a result annually, and 80,000 resident Native American Indians are receiving generally sub-standard under-funded health care, especially in Rosebud at this vey moment, and Daugaard is trying to delay and condition more federal dollars for MEDICAID EXPANSION on adhesion consent by the tribes to his perhaps untrustworthy plan.
so lisa, despite deep sadness for Platte’s Westerhuis situation, perhaps in this context, you could think broader than just your brother’s slandered reputation. he’s a big boy. we will cut him some slack, of course, after the many questions come to light.
(Leslie, don’t forget: Lisa’s brother hasn’t been slandered.)
cory I don’t even know what L&S means and am too old too look it up! but I agree.
I do not wish lisa or laurie any ill will. the are right to be upset, but not at a blog that seeks transparency for all.
and if I may say, damn good work cory, on reporting the audit news. we have serious crimes in SD against the entire public. Rep. arron schock, Christie’s former boy friend, has racked up millions in legal fees just for painting his Breaburn Office suite blood red. These guys, melmer, moore, others, potentially may have REAL problems and they are likely even talking to lawyers now. they should be.
well, I forgot, they do have daugaard and jackley in their court.