Every third American not sleeping enough: Study

“That’s a big problem” says, Dr. Nancy Collop, director of the Emory Sleep Centre at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, who is familiar with the study. “You don’t function as well, your ability to pay attention is reduced, and it can have serious, long term side effects. 

It can change your metabolism for the worse.” The study is the first of its kind to look at all 50 US states and the District of Columbia. At least seven hours of sleep is considered healthy for an adults aged 18 to 60, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society. 

CDC analysed data from a 2014 survey of 444,306 adults and found 65.2 per cent of respondents reported getting that amount of sleep. 

“Lifestyle changes such as going to bed at the same time each night, rising at the same time each morning; and turning off or removing televisions, computers, mobile devices from the bedroom, can help people get the healthy sleep they need,” said Dr. Wayne Giles, director of the CDC’s Division of Population Health, in a statement.

Getting less than seven hours a night is associated with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and frequent mental distress, the study showed.  

Married people and those who had a job said they got enough sleep, but only 56 per cent of divorced adults said they get enough sleep. 

And just over half of jobless adults sleep seven hours a night regularly Among the best sleepers were college graduates, with 72 per cent reporting seven hours or more.