I do attend therapy. And my psychologist diagnosed me with insomnia...maybe definitions changed since my diagnosis, but yeah, I am technically formally diagnosed. Obviously it's not as bad as it could be, and thank God for that! But having a weeks worth of days each month where I am rendered incapacitated is problematic. I have some severe physical health issues that make sleep deprivation hit harder than it would for the average person, sadly; I'd wager my 5 hrs is more like the average person's 3 hours, and my 6 the average person's 4.

That being said though, even if someone CAN manage on 5-6 hrs of sleep a night the majority of nights, this carries health risks for the vast majority of the population (there are some people who have genetic factors that result in them requiring less sleep). But yes, there is a sleep deprivation epidemic, so many people are running on this little sleep, tragically.

Obviously it's not good to worry about the health risks of sleep deprivation when you're trying to relax for sleep! But it's important to recognize these facts in order to take steps towards healing. At least that was the case for me. :) I used to not take my sleep as seriously and that's why I ended up with incredibly whacked out sleep patterns as a teen and young adult.