That's according to Mark Mahowald, MD, director of the Minnesota Regional Sleep Disorder Center in Minneapolis. The vast majority of Americans fit into the category, he says, and it's nothing to make light of.
Sleep debt is a major problem.
It impairs performance whether we're aware of it or not. And now, ongoing research suggests that getting a good night's sleep may play a crucial role in keeping people of all ages healthy, particularly the young. The change in blood sugar control was seen in those who slept less than six and a half hours a night. When they slept longer, their glycemic control returned to normal. The study has not yet been published because it is not yet complete.