We Don't Get Enough Sleep

Guess what? We don't sleep enough. And that is causing us all sorts of problems.

And as luck would have it this is national sleep awareness week, so it's a great time to bring a bit of attention to something that has plenty of us yawning all day long.

The truth of it is that we're pretty much a sleep deprived nation and many of us even have trouble with everyday tasks like driving because of it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just reported some startling statistics about our sleep habits. Turns out nearly 1/3 of us sleep less than seven hours a night. And since the general recommendation is for around eight hours a night, this lack of sleep is taking its tool. The CDC also found that about half of us spend the day having trouble concentrating, struggle to remember things, fall asleep during the day and even more alarming have difficulty driving.

It's no secret the solution is to get more sleep, but often times that's easier said than done. But time sleeping and how well you sleep are both important, so try to set yourself up for a good night. Most importantly no alcohol or caffeine four hours before bedtime, avoid late heavy meals and set up a sleep time pattern.