It seems that the world just keeps speeding up. There are more things to do, more ways to stay in touch, more demands on all aspects of your life and still the same number of hours in each day. With the financial crunch more and more people are working longer hours or even two or three jobs to make ends meet, or at least come closer together. With all this extra activity and increasing pressure there is a corresponding decrease in the number of hours the average person spends sleeping each and every night.

Unfortunately many people equate sleep with getting into bed and closing their eyes. They often wake up just as tired, irritable and stressed as when they went to bed. Poor sleep habits often occur when the natural sleep cycle, which is different in each person, is somehow disturbed or altered. The results of poor sleep quantity and quality include:

• Irritability and stress
• Feelings of depression, paranoia, anxiety and racing thoughts
• Lack of ability to focus and concentrate
• Physical aches and pains
• Poor immune system functioning
• Feelings of chronic fatigue and lethargy
• Accidents on the job or at home
• Inability to make decision or think through issues
• Daytime drowsiness
• Lower productivity

If you think you may not be getting enough sleep, try this fun test from the BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/sheep/

Everyone has a different requirement for sleep that will vary based on your age, genetic factors, health status and how much of a drain your daily life has on your body and your brain. Generally as a guideline the following hours of sleep are needed for the average person of the age group to be able to be properly rested.

• Infants – 16 hours of sleep per day
• Toddlers – 10 -14 hours per day including naps and night
• Children under 9 – 10 hours per day
• Children over 9 – 9 hours per day
• Teenagers – 9 hours, often the cycle is delayed compared to adults so later nights and later mornings work best
• Adults – 7-8 hours of sleep per day
• Seniors – 7-8 hours per day, may include naps and night

The interesting thing about the sleep research shows that although people report being in bed about 7.5 hours on average, they only actually sleep about 6.1, far less that what the human body and brain actually needs.

There are several different stages that people go through when they sleep. Each stage is designed for a specific purpose and shorting out the cycle or skipping a step is almost the same as not sleeping at all. People that wake up frequently during the night often are exhausted in the morning despite the fact that they did get in their 7-8 hours. The problem is that it was constantly interrupted. During each of the four stages of the sleep cycle the brain waves actually change, which makes sleep studies possible. In addition REM sleep, which is the deepest sleep, it typically achieved for several short periods during the night, not all at once in a big block of time.

In a very brief summary the essential sleep cycle stages include:

Stage 1 – this is the beginning of sleep. Your eyelids droop, your eyes may start to close and you simply nod off for a few seconds at a time. This whole stage, when you are having a normal sleep cycle, should only last about 10 minutes at the most. Prolonged attempts to keep awake will pull you out of progressing to the next stage.

Stage 2 – light sleep. Your eyes are fully closed and not moving under the lids, your breathing is deeper and slower and your heart rate and body temperature decrease. You can still be easily awakened at this point and often are fully alert when your eyes pop open.

Stage 3 – deep sleep is occurring and you are difficult to wake. You may be disoriented when you are suddenly woken up and typically will be difficult to get up. In most cases blood flow diverts from the brain to the muscles to rebuild and replenish necessary supplies.

Stage 4 – even deeper sleep. You are still very difficult to wake up and experience disorientation for several minutes after you are awake. The immune system is working very steadily at this time as is the circulatory system and blood pressure is slightly elevated.

REM sleep – after about an hour to an hour and a half after entering Stage 1 your body and brain will experience the first of three to five REM episodes you will have during the night. For both males and females mild to fairly major sexual arousal can occur in this stage, as will rapid, shallow breathing, increased blood pressure and heart rate continues. At this time the brain is processing information, decreasing the stress hormones and charging up for another day. REM sleep is also when you dream, which research shows is an important part of brain functioning and keeping moods stable.

If you aren't getting enough sleep you can always try a few different daytime and nighttime techniques to prepare yourself for a restful night. Consulting with your doctor is also important as chronic lack of sleep can result in physical health concerns as well as mental health issues.

When experiencing slight sleep problems consider the following:

• Exercise at least 30 minute per day a few hours before your regular bed time. This can be a brisk walk, jog, riding a bike or playing with the kids.
• Avoid any caffeinated beverages for at least 4 hours before sleeping
• Don't allow yourself to nap during the day
• Avoid watching TV or using a computer for an hour before bed, rather try reading a book or enjoying a conversation to wind down your brain processing of images
• Herbal teas, warm milk, dietary supplements and specific types of foods high in tryptophan may help with getting to sleep. These foods include chocolate (watch for the caffeine), dried dates, mangoes, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, peanuts and dairy products, including yogurt.
• Make your bedroom dark, cooler in temperature, avoid any lights or noise and don't get in the habit of watching TV or working on the laptop in bed.

Other tips for better habits for getting a good nights sleep can be found at http://www.helpguide.org/life/sleep_tips.htm. If you have some strategies that work for you, please add them to your comments, they will be helpful to us all.

Hope this helps and please, have a good nights sleep!