More than 1/3 of Americans don't get enough sleep

Lack of sleep can greatly affect health and obesity, yet more than 1/3 of Americans do not get enough sleep, according to the CDC.

Key Takeaways:

• People need at least 7 hours of sleep to ensure good physical and mental health.
• Lack of sleep can lead to obesity, affect your mental state, and lead to heart diseases and diabetes.
• The states with the least sleep are in the Southeast. These are also the states with the highest rate of obesity.
• It is important that healthcare providers talk about sleep and sleep's importance towards good health while assessing sleep issues, such as daytime sleepiness.
• Sleeping regular hours and removing televisions and mobile devices from the bedroom can be some good first steps towards helping you get the sleep you need.

"Sleeping less than seven hours per day is associated with an increased risk of developing chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and frequent mental distress".