Sleep is a very important part of our lives and not enough sleep can leave you feeling unfocused and exhausted. In today's fast paced society, sometimes it's hard to get the full eight hours sleep that the average human body needs. People need to begin to make time for sleep because much research shows that lack of sleep, and even too much sleep, has a severe affect on a person's health. Due to our spending 1/3 of our life sleeping, more than anything else, clearly indicates the importance of sleep to the human body. Sleep is as important as the air we breathe and the water we drink. We cannot possibly survive without sleep. Many people believe that as long as they exercise and eat a well balanced diet that they are as healthy as a horse. While those factors do tie into creating a healthy and fully functioning body, sleep is also important when it comes to being a truly healthy person. Many random studies done around the world show that the average American adult is getting less than the recommended eight hours of sleep per night (Kimmig 2). The most common sleep disease in America today is chronic sleep deprivation, which is the absence of sleep during a period of time when the body needs it. It has been shown that 50-70 million Americans have this disease. Its actually been shown that we sleep 25% less than our forefathers did before us. Why is that? Studies show that it is most likely the pressure that is put on humans to get everything done that needs to be done. That can sometimes be hard living in such a fast pace and booming society like America. That may be part of the reason that America takes the leading spot in lack of sleep (Trupp 3). Many jobs in America require a person to stay awake for long periods of time by working a double shift. For example, most nurses work their shifts in four twelve-hour chunks, some even working twenty-four hours strait. Studies have shown that after being awake for more than seventeen hours