The Australian Parliament's Health, Aged Care and Sport Committee will be holding public hearings in Sydney on Tuesday, 5 February 2019 and Melbourne on Wednesday, 6 February 2019, as part of its Inquiry into Sleep Health Awareness in Australia.
The Committee Chair, Mr Trent Zimmerman MP, said that 'sleep is a fundamental biological need, and along with a good diet and physical exercise, sleep is the third pillar of a healthy lifestyle.'
'Increasingly, Australians are balancing their work, family, and social commitments by cutting back on sleep. We know as many as 40 per cent of Australian adults are not regularly getting enough sleep. And it is not just adults, for young people spending increased time on the internet, playing digital games, and social networking can come at the expense of sleep.
'In the short-term the consequences of insufficient sleep includes: decreased work or school performance and an increased risk of road accidents. Over the longer term, insufficient sleep has wide ranging health effects including: increased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and dementia', Mr Zimmerman said.
