A new study reports that more than 83 million Americans sleep less than the recommended seven hours per night, UPI reports.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted the research study.
People just aren't putting sleep on the top of their priority list," Dr. Anne Wheaton, an epidemiologist at the CDC, told CNN.
"They know they should eat right, get exercise, quit smoking, but sleep just isn't at the top of their board. And maybe they aren't aware of the impact sleep can have on your health. It doesn't just make you sleepy, but it can also affect your health and safety."
Researchers said that one-third of the country is at risk for obesity, high blood pressure and other metabolic diseases by missing out on sufficient sleep.
The study was published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,.
For the study, the researchers surveyed 444,306 adults in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The researchers found that 65.2 percent slept for at least seven hours per night.
The study found 11.8 percent sleep less than five hours per night, 23 percent get six hours of sleep, 29.5 percent average seven hours, 27.7 percent average eight hours, 4.4 percent sleep nine hours, and 3.6 percent sleep 10 hours a night.
According to the report, those likely to get the recommended amount of sleep include people over age 65, those who are married, employed, have a college education or higher, and are white, Asian or Hispanic, Huffington Post reports.
Sleep patterns can be altered with health education and behavioral changes.
"As a nation we are not getting enough sleep," Dr. Wayne Giles, director of the CDC's Division of Population Health, said in a press release. "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."
