Nearly one-fifth of Australians do not get enough sleep, which puts them at risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and a weakened immune system.
A study which measured the sleep behavior 3300 Australians found that 18 percent sleep less than 6.5 hours per night during the week. Among those who did not get enough sleep, about 10 percent were between the ages of 18 and 24, and nearly a quarter were between 51 and 60.
Chronic sleep deprivation is increasingly recognized as being a contributor to health problems, and even death.