Princess Survey Finds Sleep Replacing Vacations

Santa Clarita’s Princess Cruises on Monday released its 7th annual Relaxation Report, concluding that Americans are using their vacation time from work not for vacations but to catch up on sleep and errands. Among those surveyed, 72 percent take at least one day off a year to dedicate to shut-eye, while 40 percent take five or more days off for that same reason, the study found. As for errands, 68 percent of the people polled admitted they have used a vacation day to take care of other obligations, such as family emergencies, doctor’s appointments, chores and home projects. Even on vacation, Americans have trouble relaxing as 43 percent of the survey-takers said they feel guilty when relaxing, while more than a third often feel more stressed while on vacation because they can’t get work off the brain. “Sleep and relaxation should be a guilt-free necessity every person should seek in their day,” Dr. Michael Breus, a sleep expert, said in a statement. The survey, conducted by Wakefield Research for Princess Cruises, also concluded that people in the Midwest are less stressed on vacation compared to their coastal counterparts, and women are typically more likely to feel guilty about taking time off than men.