The CDC researchers took data from adults living in Delaware, Hawaii, New York, and Rhode Island and from information of a National Health Interview Study.

Between 1985 and 2006, the percentage of adults, across all age brackets, who are sleeping six hours or less each night has increased.

The report was released by the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The study, entitled “Perceived Insufficient Rest or Sleep--Four States, 2006,” analyzed data from CDC′s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey.

Among the four states, the percentage of 19,589 adults who reported not getting enough rest or sleep every day in the past 30 days ranged from 14 percent in Delaware to 8 percent in Hawaii.

The study concludes that about 50 to 70 million adult Americans suffer from chronic sleep loss and sleep disorders.

Because of these problems, such people are at higher risk for such mental and physical problems as depression, high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and obesity, and for increased negative behaviors such as cigarette smoking, lack of physical activity, and excessive alcoholic drinking.

The study also found that sleeplessness decreases as one ages.

About 13.3 percent of adults aged 18 to 24 years reported insufficient rest or sleep everyday in the past month, while only about  7.3 percent of adults ages 55 years and older reported lack of rest or sleep.

American behavioral scientist Lela R. McKnight-Eily, lead author of the CDC study and a scientist at CDC’s Division of Adult and Community Health, stated, “It′s important to better understand how sleep impacts people′s overall health and the need to take steps to improve the sufficiency of their sleep. There are very few studies to assess and address sleep insufficiencies; therefore, more needs to done to better understand the problem and to develop effective sleep interventions.” [CDC press release “CDC Study Reveals Adults May Not Get Enough Rest or Sleep“]

The study states that reasons for sleep loss could be occupational or lifestyle in nature.

Busy work schedules and shift work are two examples of occupational factors that can adversely affect sleep.

Lifestyle factors can include such things as late–night television watching, overly busy family life, excessive Internet use, and the use of caffeine and/or alcohol, especially late at night.

The National Sleep Foundation reports that adults need seven to nine hours of sleep every night to be adequately rested, while school children aged five to twelve years require nine to eleven hours, and adolescents aged eleven to seventeen years require 8.5 to 9.5 hours each night.

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  Research  Science  William Atkins