[originaltext] Judging from the recent surveys, most experts in sleep behavi

Judging from the recent surveys, most experts in sleep behavior agree that there is virtually an epidemic of sleepiness in the nation. "I can’t think of a single study that hasn’t found Americans getting less sleep than they ought to," says Dr. David. Even people who think they are sleeping enough would probably be better off with more rest.
    The beginning of our sleep-deficit recording and others can be traced to the invention of the light bulb a century ago. From diary entries and other personal accounts from the 18th and 19th centuries, sleep scientists have reached the conclusion that the average person used to sleep about 9.5 hours a night. "The best sleep habits once were forced on us, when we had nothing to do in the evening down on the farm, and it was dark." By the 1950s and 1960s, that sleep schedule had been reduced dramatically, to between 7.5 and eight hours, and most people had to wake to an alarm clock. "People cheat on their sleep, and they don’t even realize they’re doing it," says Dr. David. "They think they’re okey because they can get by on 6.5 hours, when they really need 7.5, eight or even more to feel ideally vigorous."
    Perhaps the most merciless robber of sleep, researchers say, is the complexity of the day. Whenever pressures from work, family, friends and community increase, many people consider sleep the least expensive item on his programme. "In our society, you’re considered dynamic if you say you only need 5.0 hours’ sleep. If you’ve got to get 8.5 hours, people think you lack drive and ambition."