A newly released report from AAA has found that drowsy driving across the nation is an epidemic.

According to the study, more than a third of drivers who participated in the study reported to have fallen asleep behind the wheel at some point in their lives. More than one in 10 had fallen asleep behind the wheel in the past year.

The study recommends drivers get seven to nine hours of sleep each night. It says getting less than seven hours of sleep makes drivers more likely to crash and sleeping five hours or less is comparable to driving legally drunk.

According to the AAA report, one out of every five fatal accidents involves a drowsy driver.

"It goes up exponentially if you get less than four hours sleep," says AAA spokesman Robert Sinclair. "You're 11 times more likely to be in a crash."

Drowsy drivers have a history of crashes on Long Island. In 2011, a Nassau police officer died when a dozing motorist rear-ended his cruiser on the Long Island Expressway. Two weeks ago, a driver who fell asleep at the wheel of a sweeper rear-ended a Suffolk police cruiser, injuring the officer.

AAA says to avoid heavy meals before driving.