CDC: Women getting less sleep than men

ATLANTA, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Eleven percent of the U.S. population reports not getting enough sleep, with women sleeping less than men, health officials said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report released Thursday said an estimated 50 million to 70 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep and wakefulness disorders.

The report said 11.1 percent reported not getting enough rest or sleep everyday during the past month, with 12.4 percent of women reporting not getting enough sleep compared to 9.9 of men. Non-Hispanic blacks -- 13.3 percent -- were more likely than other racial/ethnic groups to report not getting enough rest or sleep.

The CDC report said data collected from adults in all 50 states, three U.S. territories and the District of Columbia found that 30.7 percent in 2008, reported no days of not getting enough rest or sleep in the past 30 days.

State estimates of 30 days of insufficient rest or sleep ranged from 7.4 percent in North Dakota to 19.3 percent in West Virginia.

Sleep disorders and sleep loss have been associated with mental distress, depression, anxiety, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and certain risk behaviors including cigarette smoking, physical inactivity and heavy drinking, health officials said.