America Sleep Deprived

Today, NPR reports that the typical high school senior gets less than 7 hours of sleep each school night, instead of the recommended 9.25 hours. That means most students face a 10-hour "sleep deficit" by the weekend.

Worst still: Sleeping in on Saturday and Sunday only makes matters worse, as it encourages kids' natural nocturnal ways when they're faced with 7:30 or 8 a.m. morning start times for schools. (Previously, NPR reported that letting teens sleep in could help them avoid morning car accidents.)

Of course, their parents are necessarily better off: A 12-state phone survey of roughly 75,000 people found that more than 33 percent of them had slept less than 7 hours the night, and 38 percent said they had fallen asleep without meaning to during at least one day in the previous month.

Sources: NPR, CDC

Cancer Deaths Dropping Since 1990s, But Childhood Cancer Incidence Up Slightly

Cancer deaths have been dropping steadily since the early 1990s among both men and women. Childhood cancer incidence rates continued to increase slightly. Death rates in this age group (birth to age 19) continue to decrease.

Yes, this data looks outdated with the 2007 date; however, the CDC only recently released it in association with a forthcoming report:

Kohler BA, Ward E, McCarthy BJ, Schymura MJ, Ries LAG, Eheman C, Jemal A, Anderson RA, Ajani UA, Edwards BK. Annual report to the nation on the status of cancer, 1975–2007, featuring tumors of the brain and other nervous system. Journal of the National Cancer Institute May 4, 2011.

Source: Centers for Disease Control