The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that insufficient sleep is a serious public health concern, because it can lead to many immediate dangers such as car crashes as well as long-term health problems like diabetes. The blame for sleep deprivation is often pinned on our fast-paced, 24/7 lifestyle, made possible by electric lighting at all times of day and night. But are we really getting too little sleep?

Teeth grinding is a problem that affects nearly one in ten individuals, yet many of us don't even realise we're doing it. And that's a problem given just how harmful it can be to our health. Here's how to find out if you grind your teeth when you sleep -- and why it's something you shouldn't ignore.

Dear Lifehacker, I am having trouble sleeping. I know the reasons for it and I am working to resolve them but my question is more about how sleep works: It is generally accepted that eight hours is a good amount of sleep to feel regenerated. Currently I am only getting around five and a half hours and this has been going on for months. Is there a benefit to just staying in bed, lights off, not doing much other than tossing and turning, generally keeping my eyes closed and NOT looking at any sort of media, electronic, print or otherwise? Does it help at all to stay in bed awake until I should be waking up, or should I get out of bed when I wake up?