Of course we all realize that sleeping is not just important in refreshing our mind, but is critical to our physical health as well. Therefore, a recent survey (titled ‘Sleep In America’) carried out by the National Sleep Foundation, a non-profit organization of researchers, patients and facilities, may cause you to be surprised.

The yearly poll estimates that American citizens get an average of just 6.7 hours of sleep per night on a weekday. Also, over the course of the last decade, an increasing amount of us are getting less than 6 hours sleep per night. Those who get 8 (or more) hours per night is decreasing too.

In our non-stop, 24/7, around the clock world, it’s not really surprising that we’re sleeping almost an hour and a half less per night than our grandparents did little more than a hundred years ago.

There are many distractions that no generation have had before. So, it’s clear why sleep has moved down our priority list. The widespread use of the internet, cell phones and other gadgets allow us to be connected to the world when we should be sleeping, and to do things at any time, anywhere.

Looking at another piece of research, it was reported by the American Psychological Association that just over half of 7,000 people interviewed were losing sleep during the night as a result of stress.

Of course not getting enough sleep leaves most of us experiencing irritability and fatigue, as well as burdening us with impaired work performance, lackluster thinking skills and less than perfect judgment.

Most people can improve their sleep quality thoughby setting up a regular sleeping routine. Get yourself to bed and awake in the morning at a similar time every day- this also applies to days off, vacations and holidays.

It’s important to keep your sleeping space is restful, peacful and at a comfortable, constant temperature. Do this and you’ve a better chance of getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep that you require.