ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- Sleep. It's something everyone does, but it can sometimes be taken for granted. Poor sleep can have impacts on all sorts of other aspects of one's health. 

The National Institutes of Health recommends that adults get between seven and eight hours of sleep each night. But, according to the CDC, about one in three adults in the U.S. report not getting enough sleep every night.

"People should in general think of their sleep as important. I think a lot of times people rush around and do all sorts of stuff, and they never think of their own sleep," said Dr. William Hammond, a sleep physician at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital.

If you get poor, disrupted or insufficient sleep, it can lead to some other health problems. Additionally, common sleep disorders can lead to a number of health issues down the line.

"One of the most common sleep disorders we see is what they call sleep apnea or obstructive sleep apnea, where people snore, they choke their airway and they can't breathe at night. If this goes untreated and it's significant, it can clearly lead to more high blood pressure, there are more heart attacks, more strokes, more heart rhythm problems," Dr. Hammond said.

Hammond says there are a number of common sleep issues that are causes of concern. 

"Some people have trouble with sleep onset or getting to sleep, some people have problems maintaining their sleep, some people have problems getting awake in the morning, so it can be any or all of those things, and some people feel so sleepy in the day that they just can't make it through the day. So I think when you have any of those, it's worthwhile getting evaluated."

He recommends practicing good sleep hygiene to set yourself up for success when sleeping.

"Going to bed at a regular time, getting up at a regular time, not using the devices, having a cool, usually dark, quiet place. Little sound machines are good, so that where you're sleeping is a kind of friendly, restful place," said Hammond.

He says prioritizing sleep can be as important as diet and exercise for your health.

"It just makes a lot of sense to pay attention to it because people feel better, they live better, and I think they work better when they sleep well," he said.

To learn more about the Sleep Lab at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital, click here.