You probably feel it every morning when you begin your daily trek to work, and now a study confirms that many of us are not getting enough sleep per night.

Man sleeping
Man comfortably sleeping in his bed (ThinkStock)
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A new study from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that more than a third of American adults are not getting proper sleep on a regular basis, which they say is at least seven hours each night for adults ages 18 to 60.

Medical experts agree that lack of sleep is associated with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and mental distress.

"As a nation we are not getting enough sleep," said Dr. Wayne Giles, director of CDC's Division of Population Health. "Lifestyle changes such as going to bed at the same time each night; rising at the same time each morning; and turning off or removing televisions, computers, mobile devices from the bedroom, can help people get the healthy sleep they need."

Here in New Jersey, 63 percent of residents are regularly getting the recommended sleep. That leaves our state ranked 37th in the nation.

Author Gretchen Rubin agrees that people should not only focus on when they fall asleep, but also when they wake up. She said this is especially true during the weekend when many people try to catch up and sleep in.

"There's something called social jet lag, which is people who sleep very late on the weekends, then they, from what they do during the week," Rubin said. "It's like they're flying back and forth to the West Coast every week. So, you want to wake up on the same time every day."

In addition to avoiding the temptation to oversleep on weekends, Rubin is recommending avoiding gadgets before bed and to exercise regularly.

"Exercise tends to help people fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply, so if you're not getting any exercise - exercise will boost your energy during the day and also give you more self mastery but it will also help you sleep during that night."

Doctors also urge people to avoid caffeine and nicotine at night.

Experts believe many factors are leading to a lack of sleep and found that people with a steady job and normal work hours tend to get more sleep than others.

They tell people to make getting enough sleep a priority and to practice good sleep habits.

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