A new report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that an estimated 28 percent of adult Americans are receiving less than 6 hours of sleep per night. According to the health organization, this can lead to some serious mental and physical health complications. "[Sleep is] one of the components of a three-legged stool of wellness: nutrition, exercise and sleep," said Safwan Badr, a past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and a sleep expert with Detroit Medical Center and Wayne State University. "The three are synergistic. It's hard to lose weight if you are sleep deprived. It's hard to eat healthy if you are sleep deprived. It is hard to exercise if you're tired." Currently, the recommended number of sleep for adults per night is anywhere between 7-9 hours a night. Certain factors related to weight, age and medical conditions may also require others to need more or less sleep.

http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/15618/20140623/are-you-getting-enough-sleep.htm
http://www.hngn.com/articles/34452/20140624/cdc-reminds-people-importance-sleep.htm