SLEEPINESS MORE COMMON IN SINGLES.

Byline: Angela La Voie Medical Tribune News Service

Look at nodding heads around the office, and you're likely to find that more single people suffer from daytime sleepiness than those who are married, new research suggests.

In a study of 973 adults ages 26 to 35, researchers found that married people were significantly less likely to doze off during the day than singles.

Married people did tend to sleep slightly more each night than single individuals, and the researchers initially thought that might explain why married people reported less problems with daytime sleepiness.

But even after accounting for this difference, the researchers found that single people still were more likely to be sleepy during the day, according to findings reported in the October issue of the American Journal of Public Health.

Nonetheless, single people are probably more likely to engage in certain sleep-depriving behaviors, such as late-night partying, said lead study author Naomi Breslau, director of behavioral sciences research at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit.

Charmane Eastman, director of the biological rhythms research laboratory at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago, agreed.

``There are certain things that are conducive to sleep, and others that aren't,'' she said. ``Single people may be out dating and running around late at night,'' she suggested.

But saying ``I do'' doesn't guarantee a good night's sleep. Study participants who were employed full-time also were significantly more likely to suffer from daytime sleepiness than those who were not employed or who worked part-time.

Researchers know that getting adequate sleep is the best protection against daytime sleepiness, Breslau noted. Yet, the researchers said they were surprised to find that about 40 percent of the study participants reported sleeping fewer than seven hours per night.

``For most people, eight hours are needed for maximum alertness,'' she said.

In addition to getting enough sleep, it's important to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day - even on the weekends, Eastman advised. Part of the problem with daytime sleepiness is that people don't keep a regular sleep schedule, so they keep throwing off their body's internal clocks, she said.

Previous studies have found that excessive daytime sleepiness is associated with an increased risk for motor-vehicle and industrial accidents, interpersonal problems and decreased productivity at work.

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Photo: Married people did tend to sleep slightly more each night than single individuals, which the researchers initially thought might explain why married people reported less problems with daytime sleepiness.