HERE'S AN INTERESTING TIDBIT for a little change of pace: According to a poll commissioned by the National Sleep Foundation, three-quarters of Americans say their sleep is disturbed by nighttime waking, snoring, or the like. Americans get an average of 6.9 hours of sleep a night; sleep experts say most people need (as opposed to get) 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night.

Here's some more cheery findings from the study:

* Six in 10 adult motorists said they have driven while drowsy in the past year; 4 percent reported that they have had an accident or near-accident because they were too tired or actually fell asleep while driving.

* Three-fourths said their partner has a sleep problem, and the most common is snoring.

* Roughly one-fourth of respondents who have partners report that their sexual relationship has been hurt because they have been too sleepy. They had sex less often or lost interest in having sex because they were too tired.

* Seven in 10 people said their doctor has never asked them about their sleep.

I wonder what the results of such a study would be in other countries. I suspect that Europeans get more sleep than we Americans do. Although the Spanish siesta is coming in for a lot of criticism lately. Too bad. Such a civilized habit.