"Americans are definitely sleep deprived. They don't get the amount that even they say that they want," Drobnich said.
The CDC said 50 to 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep loss and sleep disorders in a country of 300 million.
The CDC four-state survey found that younger adults are more likely than older adults to report getting too little sleep. It also found overall that 30 percent of respondents said they got enough sleep every day of the past month, and 33 percent got too little on one to six days in the prior month.
Lela McKnight-Eily urged people who often get too little sleep to see a doctor to see whether lifestyle issues are to blame or whether they might have a sleeping disorder. People can also try to establish a regular sleep schedule and avoid caffeine or other stimulants before bedtime, she added.
