Cronkite News: Short on Z’s in AZ - A third of Arizonans don’t get enough sleep
The National Sleep Foundation said adults should be getting seven to nine hours of sleep every night. The effects of insufficient sleep go beyond a grumpy disposition at work: A lack of sleep can lead to bad decision making, odd mistakes, attention problems and falling asleep behind the wheel, said Dr. Raj Dasgupta, a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
“You can literally die without sleep,” said Dasgupta, who is also an assistant professor at the University of Southern California.
Consistently getting too little sleep can contribute to more serious health issues, such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, stroke and a poor immune system. Even vaccines are less effective when people don’t get enough sleep, Dasgupta said.