6 Things You Can Do To Get A Better Night Sleep Tonight

Let�s face it� we live in a �go-go� world! Our lifestyle is harried,our food is fast and statistics now show it�s taking a toll on one ofthe most important parts of our life--our sleep. The 2002 National Sleep Foundation (NSF) Sleep in America poll found that 74 percent of American adults are experiencing a sleeping problema few nights a week or more, 39% get less than seven hours of sleepeach weeknight, and more than one in three (37%) are so sleepy duringthe day that it interferes with daily activities. Our fast paced way oflife is getting the best of us. What about you?

Answer True or False?

1. Five hours of sleep at night is good enough.
2. It's ok to skimp on sleep during the work week as long as you make up the time over the weekends.
3. The effects of sleep deprivationare short-term (e.g., darkness under the eyes and dull and/or splotchyskin after a bad night's sleep) and has no effect on long-term health.
4. Drinking caffeine early in the evening does not affect sleep.
5. Keeping a TV or computer in the bedroom has no effect on sleep.
6. The amount of sleep I get has nothing to do with my weight.

Ifyou answered �true� to two or more questions you may need to make a fewchanges in order to achieve the highly coveted �good� night�s sleep andkeep yourself in optimal health.

Experts suggest that mostpeople need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night but that doesn�tapply to everyone. Some people only require 6 hours while those who aremore active or have an illness may require more.

So how do youknow if you are getting enough quality sleep? Those who are sleepdeprived often look the part. Dark circles and the �sleepy� look arecommon, but they also can have unpredictable moods, drowsiness duringthe day, have difficulty concentrating, weak immune systems, recoverpoorly from injury and get sick more often. Sounding a little toofamiliar?

In fact, poor sleep has been found to impair theability to perform tasks involving memory, learning, and logicalreasoning. This may contribute to mistakes or unfulfilled potential atschool or on the job as well as strained relationships at home. Evenmore disturbing, inadequate amounts of sleep have been linked to anincreased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, weight gain, obesity,heart disease and depression, to name just a few.

But what ifyou go to bed early, have every intention on logging in your 7-9 hoursbut only to lie awake watching the clock�eyes wide open? Well, thereare several simple adjustments you can make to stack the cards in favorof a better night�s sleep.

1) Avoid watching TV before bed�especiallyin bed!- The bed should be reserved for two things�sleep andromance�not Desperate Housewives or football! Research shows that thosewho experienced the most sleep disturbances had televisions in theirbedrooms and used the TV to fall asleep.

2) Try a different pillow or mattress.It�s scary to think how long some of us have been sleeping on the samepillows and mattresses for years and years. Does your mattress providethe support you like? Do you wake with your back aching? Is thereenough room for you and your sleep partner? Do you sleep better, orworse, when you sleep away from home? These are all things to askyourself to determine if your mattress could be the �sabotager� of yourgood night�s sleep. Or more simply, just replacing your pillow with anew, fresh, higher quality version could be all that you need.

3) Avoid caffeine late in the day.Did you know that even a small amount of caffeine even 10-12 hoursbefore bedtime can cause problems falling asleep! Try eliminating thetea, soda and even chocolate and see if sleep improves.

4) Listen to relaxing music.Establishing a relaxing bedtime routine, such as listening to music,could be just the thing you need to signal your body it is time tosleep. So, dim the lights and throw some slow jazz or purchase a�relaxing sounds� CD to help slow your mind and body down for anevening of peaceful sleep.

5) Try mind- body techniques.After an action-packed day, your brain and body need to unwind anddetox before sleep can occur (a.k.a. you need to chill!) Create a�ritual� for bedtime - take a bath, meditate, do some easy stretches oryoga. Try to do your �ritual� in the same way, in the same place, atthe same time each night. The repetition will trigger your mind andbody that it is time to relax and sleep.

6) Try a natural sleep aid.For many people, while the above tips and suggestions may help, itoften isn�t enough. if you are one of those people who really have ahard time getting to sleep and staying asleep, you may want to try a natural sleep aid.

While over the counter sleep medicationsmay help you fall asleep, they cannot be taken long-term and have riskyside effects. A sleep aid that uses natural ingredients is a betterapproach to getting a solid night�s sleep.