If You're In This Age Group, You're Probably Not Getting Enough Sleep

If you think sleep is for the weak, you're flat-out wrong. Getting your recommended seven to eight hours reduces stress, is associated with a lower BMI and makes you more creative.

But how many people in the United States are actually getting enough sleep? According to a recent study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the numbers aren't quite as dismal as you might think.

Of the 444,306 American adults surveyed for the study, 65.2 percent reportedly get a healthy amount of sleep.

So, which age group took first place when it came to getting the most sleep? Your grandma did. Of people 65 and over, an impressive 73.7 percent reported getting between seven and eight hours per night.

Not too far behind were the 18- to 24-year-olds, with 67.8 percent getting enough sleep. And the people who apparently struggle the most with adequate sleep are adults between the ages of 35 and 44, only 61.7 percent of whom get adequate sleep, according to the study.

So, while old people and college students seem to have the whole sleep thing down, middle-aged people have a bit of work to do.

If you shook your head guiltily through this entire article thinking about how you should really be sleeping more, worry not -- there's a lot you can do.

Try drinking less caffeine, keeping electronics out of the bedroom, getting enough exercise, keeping your room at a cool temperature and avoiding alcohol right before bed.

Happy snoozing!

Citations: Prevalence of Healthy Sleep Duration among Adults — United States, 2014 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)