Nearly a third of U.S. adults report "extreme stress" in a new survey from the American Psychological Association.

Stress kept nearly half of participants -- 48% -- awake at night during the previous month. They reported losing 21 hours of sleep during that month.

Almost half of participants -- 43% -- said they had overeaten or eaten unhealthy foods because of stress in the previous month. Candy and chocolate were their most popular comfort foods.

Two-thirds of smokers said they smoked more when they were stressed, and 17% of drinkers said they drank too much within the previous week because of stress.

Stress Management Tips

Nearly seven out of 10 participants indicated that a mental health professional could help with stress management, but only 7% said they've sought such help to manage their stress.

The American Psychological Association provides these stress management tips:

• Understand how you experience stress. Everyone is different. How does stress affect you?
• Identify your sources of stress. What events or situations stress you out?
• Learn your own stress signals. For instance, you might get irritable, lose energy, have trouble concentrating, get headaches, or feel muscle tension when you're stressed.
• Recognize how you deal with stress. Are you making unhealthy choices because of stress?
• Find healthy ways to manage stress. Examples include exercise, meditation, or talking things out with friends or family.
• Take care of yourself. Eat right, get enough sleep, drink plenty of water, and engage in regular physical activity.
• Reach out for support. Accept help from supportive friends and family.

If you continue to feel overwhelmed by stress, you may want to talk to a psychologist for pointers on managing stress and changing unhealthy behaviors.