The ‘Sandwich Generation’ is facing enough pressures. Poor sleep health exacerbates them all.

Between raising children and caring for elderly parents, some American adults are lucky if they get a moment to pause. Just as they spend their mornings dropping their children off at school before heading to work, they spend their afternoons organizing their parents’ medical appointments on the way to carline pick-up.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because approximately 23% of American adults simultaneously raise their children and care for a parent over the age of 65. In fact, so many people fall into this category that the group has been given a name: the Sandwich Generation.

Juggling the needs and commitments of a multigenerational family can absorb days and nights. In taking care of everyone else, too often the Sandwich Generation’s own health becomes an afterthought, including the foundation of all good health: sleep.

Facing mounting pressures, the Sandwich Generation is stretched thin

Every day brings a tremendous amount of emotional and financial stress for the Sandwich Generation — which has a tangible, negative impact on their health over time.

Many people within the Sandwich Generation are the direct providers for their multigenerational families. That comes with increased expenses and cutting back time at work to care for family, resulting in lost wages. Some Sandwich Generation members estimate they’ve lost over $10,000 due to multigenerational caregiving responsibilities.

But the Sandwich Generation faces far more than financial duress. The average sandwich caregiver spends 22 hours a week, the equivalent of an unpaid part-time job, caring for another adult. And like most caregivers, according to a study by the National Alliance of Caregiving, they face a series of challenges that significantly reduce their quality of life:

• 33% experience a high level of emotional stress
• 20% report their physical health worsening
• 60% say their caregiving responsibilities have an impact on their work, due to unexpected time off, leaves of absence, or reduced hours.

The Sandwich Generation’s responsibilities often result in sacrificing their own wellbeing. Unfortunately, their sleep is no exception.

Sleep, a dangerous sacrifice all too common for a sandwich caregiver

According to Pew Research Center, 54% of adults in their 40s and 36% of adults in their 50s are part of the Sandwich Generation. These age groups already have an increased risk of developing sleep issues and sleep-related disorders.

The pandemic has made the Sandwich Generation even more vulnerable. In a recent study, members of the Sandwich Generation reported spending 39% less time each week sleeping as a result of the pandemic and their simultaneous caregiving responsibilities. When family members face other serious medical conditions, like that of dementia and cancer, the likelihood of familial caregivers developing sleep disturbances only increases.

A regular lack of sleep, especially disordered sleep, puts individuals at greater risk for developing related health conditions. If not treated properly, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), one of the most common sleep disorders, is associated with the onset and intensification of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and coronary heart disease.

But leaving sleep disorders untreated doesn’t just impact individuals’ physical health, it can also wreak havoc on their mental wellbeing. Studies show that poor sleep health is linked to an increase in mental health challenges.

Imagine needing to keep track of a complicated medication schedule, attend doctor’s appointments, and provide meals and other necessities for another person while sleep-deprived and emotionally-depleted.

It’s a vicious cycle that doesn’t set anyone up for success — those within the Sandwich Generation or their loved ones.

Poor sleep health impacts more than just the individual, it affects all of us

While the Sandwich Generation faces a series of challenges that are out of their control, sleep shouldn’t be one of them. And it doesn’t have to be.

44% of caregivers that fall within this generation say they’re interested in seeking help or more information about managing their mental and physical stress. But if they don’t have the tools to treat sleep challenges, they won’t be successful in limiting stress.

Sleep is the foundation of physical and mental health and wellbeing. Given the pressure that the Sandwich Generation faces, it’s especially critical that they have access to life-altering sleep care.

For people as on-the-go as this generation, their care needs to be flexible and convenient to access wherever they are. Modern sleep care prioritizes accessibility through at-home diagnostics and telehealth check-ins, connecting people with top providers. The technology is there; it’s time to apply it to sleep care.

That way the Sandwich Generation — and anyone looking to improve their sleep health — can lead a better quality of life for themselves, and be better prepared to show up for their loved ones.