Job website Glassdoor in October 2017 released a study that determines that three in four full- or part-time employees get fewer than 8 hours of sleep per night, averaging just 6.9 hours of sleep. This is below the recommended 7-9 hours per night that are understood to be required for people to function at their very best.

Conducted by Harris Poll in late March and early April 2017 among 1,077 U.S. adults employed full and part-time, the survey found that 66% say they would be better employees if they got more sleep, especially those ages 18-44 (73%) compared to those ages 45-64 (59%). On average, 18-34-year-old employees sleep more (7.4 hours) than those ages 45-64 (6.5 hours) on a typical work night. Males report 7.1 hours of sleep, while females report 6.8 hours.

Female employees who are age 45-54 sleep 6.4 hours and one in five (18%) report just five hours or less of sleep each night. Male employees aged 18-34 report 7.5 hours of sleep. Employees who are married get more sleep (7.1 hours) than unmarried employees (6.7 hours) on an average work night.

The survey’s finding also suggests that while Americans are sleeping less than the recommended 7-9 hours, the reasons are not tied to demanding employers. Roughly 3 in 4 report that their managers encourage them to take time off for health and wellness.

87% of employees expect their employer to support them in balancing their life between work and personal commitments, however there may be a disconnect when it comes to employees taking rest and/or caring for their health, as 3 in 5 (61%) acknowledge they would rather work when they feel sick than use paid time off or sick time. Younger employees tend to feel this way more than those who fall into the 45-64 age group.

A previous Glassdoor survey also found that working Americans today are having a tougher  time taking rest compared to a few years ago. In fact, two in three (66%) employees who take vacation/time off report working while on vacation, an increase since 2014 (61%). The underlying reasons include fear of getting behind (34%), no one else at their company can do the work while they’re out (30%), they are completely dedicated to their company (22%), and they feel they can never be disconnected (21%).