The Most Sleep Deprived

While there is some individual variation, the most zzz-deprived group of all is high school and college students who study and socialize well into the wee hours of the morning. In fact, according to Dr. James Maas, a Cornell University researcher, 17- to 25-year-olds need almost as much sleep as very young children...nearly ten hours a night for optimal rest and functioning. The average college student, however, racks up only six, resulting in sleep debt.

* Source: Healthwise, Fall 1995