American women tend to put sleep near the bottom of their priority list -- with work at the top -- despite the many negative effects associated with lack of sufficient sleep.

The impact is most severe on mothers who do not work outside the home.

Among the 1,003 women polled, 70 percent reported frequent trouble sleeping, including insomnia or waking up feeling tired. Most of them acknowledged feeling stressed out or anxious.

Women who feel they don't have enough time often choose to give up sleep and exercise. They tend to eat less healthfully. They also spend less time with friends and lose interest in sex.

Few of these overtaxed women choose to cut down on their workloads, however, and many of them use coffee or other caffeinated drinks to bolster their energy.

The fast majority of sleep-deprived women polled admitted they watched TV or did some other activity in the hour prior to going to bed rather than attempting to snatch extra sleep.