Getting Less Sleep Than You Think You Need? Here Is What Six Weeks of Mild Sleep Loss Does to Your Body

The Trade-Off Most People Think Is Safe May Not Be

For millions of Americans, sleeping six hours instead of seven and a half is not a crisis; it is Tuesday. Work deadlines, parenting responsibilities, shift schedules, and the pull of late-night screens make mild sleep restriction the norm rather than the exception. Roughly 30 percent of U.S. adults regularly get less sleep than they need, according to the researchers behind a new study.