Feeling short-changed on shut eye? You're not alone.

Short-changed on shut eye? You're not alone, as more than 83 million Americans are now reported to be lacking sleep.

While some may be worried about "sleeping their life away," a new study finds that about one-third of Americans have the opposite problem, snoozing less than the recommended seven hours per night.

And while the resulting drowsiness can contribute to accidents, anxiety, depression and lost productivity, the less immediate health effects raise even greater cause for concern.

“Overtime, lack of sleep alters your hormones and metabolism, increasing your risk for diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease,” says Jeffrey Miskoff, D.O., a pulmonologist at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

To find out where you and the sandman stand, try keeping a 10-day sleep journal. Be sure to log when you fall asleep and wake up, and include any naps as well. And don't forget to discuss your sleep habits with your doctor.

In Defense of Mondays

You can't avoid it. You know it's coming - just like it has a thousand times before and will a thousand more.

But do Mondays get a bum rap?

We all know how it feels: You're sluggish. You're irritable. You can't focus...

Wait, don't we know those symptoms from somewhere else?

What if  "the Mondays" aren't a condition, but a symptom themselves?

Here's a hint: When was the last time you were out of bed and out the door by 7 a.m. - on a Sunday?

Who doesn't love staying up, and sleeping in a bit later on weekends? But, according to Meridian Health Director of Sleep Medicine Dr. Carol Ash, maintaining the same bedtime and wake-up time every day - yes, even weekends - helps keep your internal clock balanced and properly wound.

But if you're consistently throwing off your body's internal rhythm when weekends hit, don't be surprised to feel your chains grinding when it's time to shift back into high gear - a.k.a., Monday morning.

So, next time someone at the office complains about "the Mondays," smile and remind them that the world gave us YouTube, the Jackson 5 and Kermit the Frog all on a Monday.

And than invite them over for Sunday coffee - at 6 a.m. sharp.

Sleep Tips to Reduce SIDS Risk

Carol Ash, M.D.
Director of Sleep Medicine
Meridian Health, Riverview Medical Center

Since the start of the “Back to Sleep” campaign, there has been a reduction in SIDS deaths by 50%.

SIDS however still remains the leading cause of death among infants.

With the success of the “Back to Sleep” campaign, other risks have become important factors, with bed sharing causing 38% of deaths and sleeping in adult beds alone causing another 45%.

Bed sharing with a parent who is a smoker or who uses drugs and alcohol has been known to increase the risk of SIDS.

For exhausted moms keeping the baby in the same bed to make breast feeding easier seems like a simple solution.

Research shows that there can be a fivefold increase in the risk of SIDS associated with bed-sharing in breast fed babies who were under three months old, had non-smoking parents and when  the mother had not used drugs or alcohol. Adult bedding and mattresses are softer and can cause suffocation of an infant.
 
So while the “back to sleep campaign has proved to be a success, it is still important to make sure all new moms understand the multiple risk and take steps to keep their baby safe.

Tips to reduce SIDS risk:

•Always put your baby to sleep on their backs
•Invest in a comfortable bed side rocker to breast feed babies at night
•Never put your baby to bed in your bed or a sofa.  Infant mattresses are firmer
•Avoid alcohol 3 hours prior to bedtime
•For the sake of your baby, don't smoke or take drugs