Part Two:  Creating a Good Sleep Environment

Most normal adults need to spend about fifty percent of their total sleep time in stage 2 sleep, thirty percent in the remaining stages and twenty percent in REM sleep.  When these stages are interrupted or when you do not get adequate amounts of sleep you will inevitably suffer a host of physical and mental consequences. Read the rest of this entry »

Part One: Understanding Sleep Cycles

With today’s increasingly busy schedules, individuals and their families are more sleep deprived then ever.  According to recent research, neither children nor adults are getting enough sleep.  In part this has to do with the busy demands of modern life, but it is just as much a matter of poor sleep habits and patterns. Read the rest of this entry »

Sleep is as essential to human life as food and water, though it is something which we far too often fail to get enough of. Although there is still much research being done on the precise benefits and purposes of sleep, we know that it is essential for the proper functioning of the body. It is a restorative mechanism which allows the body to rest and regenerate itself. The benefits of this are numerous, and can be largely divided into physical and psychological. This article will consider the nature of these benefits in more detail, starting with the psychological. Read the rest of this entry »

Sleeping disorders, in one form or another, represent the most common clinical problem that exists today. Indeed, roughly one in every three North Americans suffers from such a disorder at least once in their lives. What’s more, at least one in every five North American adults reports having chronic insomnia, and one in six adults have determined the problem to be serious. Read the rest of this entry »

Are you having trouble getting out of bed in the mornings? Do you struggle with daytime sleepiness or feel sluggish throughout the day?  This may be b use you aren’t getting the proper rest you need. Read the rest of this entry »

Healthy sleep patterns are important for people of any age. However, when it comes to kids, instilling the right habits in them from the start can save them and you a whole host of future problems. Sleep is of vital importance for all of us, but it is particularly so for growing babies and children. Making sure that your kids get the sleep they need is an extremely important part of parenting. Read the rest of this entry »

Melatonin is a hormone that is produced by the pineal gland in the brain.  In early life this hormone is produced in abundance.  At adolescence the production of melatonin begins to slow and continues to decline thereafter.

Research shows that this important hormone has profound effects on the proper functioning of our bodies, especially the sleep wake cycle. Read the rest of this entry »

As many of us know, getting adequate amounts of rest is imperative to our overall health and wellbeing.  Yet, the inability to get enough sleep affects millions across the globe.  Inadequate rest contributes to a host of disorders as well as contributing to secondary problems which result from being overtired.  Sleeplessness and insomnia apparently affect as many as 40 million Americans.  Thus, about one in ten Americans are having difficulty falling asleep and/or staying asleep.  Suffering from continuous wakefulness throughout the night is also a symptom of insomnia.  These problems aside from being very upsetting and irritating can also lead to a variety of dangerous consequences. Read the rest of this entry »

Melatonin is a hormone made by a part of the brain called the pineal gland. Melatonin is naturally produced and excreted by this gland to regulate our sleep/wake cycles. As we get older, our bodies actually produce less melatonin which is probably why as we get older it becomes harder to sleep. It is also believed that if you do not have enough melatonin in your body it contributes to Alzheimer’s disease, certain forms of cancer, and immunity problems. Read the rest of this entry »

Do you often find yourself tossing and turning during the night or having erratic sleeping patterns? Millions of people worldwide struggle with maintaining a consistent sleeping pattern even though sleep is such a natural and healthy part of our day. Unless you’re suffering from a serious sleep disorder, often making very minor changes to our daily habits can improve your quality of sleep. Read the rest of this entry »