Most people feel that they aren’t getting enough sleep on a daily basis, but often feel that they don’t have the time to get as much sleep as they would like. Sleep loss is a serious concern that affects millions of Americans every year. Understanding truly how well your body is functioning, and what you can do to improve the sleep you do get is extremely important. Below you’ll find 5 common misconceptions about healthy sleeping patterns and what you can do to correct yours.

Myth 1: Drunk driving is the leading cause for auto accidents.

The Truth: While drunk driving is responsible for many of today’s accidents, it is not the leading cause of them. Sleep deprivation is felt by as many as half of all the drivers on the road and is responsible for over half a million accidents and almost 1,000 deaths a year. Amazingly, many of those drivers have actually fallen asleep while at the wheel.

Myth 2: Sleeping more than 8 hours a night can help you catch up on missed sleep.

The Truth: Unfortunately, you can’t just make up lost sleeping time by sleeping in one morning. Once you miss a few hours one night, they are gone. The best thing to do is re-evaluate your sleeping habits. You should try to let your body recover properly, by getting some extra sleep over multiple nights.

Myth 3: Anyone who sleeps more than 6 hours is wasting their time.

The Truth: A research study conducted by Boston University found that people who sleep less than 6 hours at night or more than 9 hours had an increased risk of developing diabetes. Those participants that slept only 7 to 8 hours at night had the lowest occurrence of diabetes.

Myth 4: My snoring is only bothering my wife; it’s not a real problem.

The Truth: Sleep apnea is one of the most dangerous types of sleep disorders a person can develop. It occurs when a person’s air way is temporarily blocked during sleep. The muscles surrounding the throat become so relaxed that the air way is shut off. While most people who have sleep apnea snore, it does not mean that everyone who snores has sleep apnea.

Myth 5: Having an alcoholic drink before bed will help you sleep better.

The Truth: While the alcohol may help you relax a bit so you can fall asleep faster, it won’t be a very long peaceful sleep. Alcohol has a tendency to work for only 3 or 4 hours, after that time period a person can become restless and uncomfortable. This can also lead to an addiction, once the amount of alcohol necessary to fall asleep increases.

In general most adults need somewhere between 7 to 8 hours of solid sleep a night. While everyone is different it is recommended that a person track how much sleep they got and how they feel in the morning to determine how much sleep they need.

Proper sleep helps our bodies rejuvenate themselves and restore damaged skin cells. When an individual is fighting a sleeping disorder or is merely not taking care of them self, by getting the necessary amount of sleep, they are jeopardizing not only their mental well being but also their physical as well.

Even though we spend upwards of 1/3 of our lives sleeping, most people consider it to be a low priority, and don’t take the time to determine if they are getting enough sleep every day. With the explosion of the technological revolution, people seem to have more excuses that they aren’t getting enough sleep. The Internet, cable TV, cell phones, and pagers can all be blamed for our change in sleeping patterns.

Sleep is consists of five different stages that are necessary for the body to remain healthy. An average person will cycle through these stages about 4 to 5 times during a normal eight hour period.

Stage 1: The first stage is sometimes called “drowsy sleep”. The person drifts in and out of sleep for about 5 to 10 minutes and can be awakened easily.

Stage 2: The second phase is when the individual enters a light sleep phase. Most eye movements stop, the person’s brain waves become slower, and the body temperature decreases.

Stage 3: Slow-Wave Sleep is the third stage, and is associated with the appearance of delta-waves which signal that the individual has entered the beginning of a state of deep sleep.

Stage 4: The fourth state is the true phase of deep sleep. People awakened during this phase will be very tired and confused for several minutes while wake up.

The final stage is called REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep. During this stage dreaming is more likely to occur, and an individual will experience faster more rapid breathing, and increased blood pressure and heart rates.

To ensure that your body is able to fully restore damaged skin cells, a person must get the recommended 8 hours of sleep a night. If a person is not able to get enough sleep at night, then the body is not going to be able to grow new skin cells.

Many people living in modern industrialized countries such as the United States suffer from some form of mild to chronic sleep deprivation. Are you one of them? Chances are you don’t get enough sleep. Probably, the sleep that you are getting isn’t the deep rest that out bodies require to properly repair themselves.

One of the main culprits of our lack of sleep is the Technological Revolution that the world is experiencing today. Thirty or forty years ago, it was easy for people to leave their work at their jobs. Most people worked a blue collar job, which was very demanding physically rather than the cushy white collar gigs that many of us have today. When people used to come home from work, they were too tired to stay up into the wee hours of the night watching TV or surfing the web.

With the dawn of the Internet, many of us can easily bring our office home with us simply by packing up our laptop. Not only does often shorten the amount of time with have available with our families, but it also increases stress levels due to shorter deadlines. Stress can be a leading trigger in some individuals to develop a sleep disorder.

Years ago, people would sleep 8 to 10 hours a night. When was the last time you were able to sleep 10 hours in one night? Some people don’t even get 10 hours in two nights of sleep due to grueling work schedules and impossible deadlines.

Today’s society is focused on achieving more in less amount of time. What’s the most obvious way to get more done in the day…to sleep less each night. Unfortunately, that will cause the body to under perform physically and mentally. If you want to be on you’re “A” game, then you need to make sure that your body is receiving proper sleep, diet and exercise. These three areas are crucial to maintaining a healthy body and lifestyle. A recent study from Boston University found that individuals that sleep less than six or more than nine hours in a night were more likely to develop diabetes. Personally, I don’t think any job is worth the risk of developing a disease especially diabetes.

Workplace performance can be drastically affected with as few as three days of sleep loss. Mental focus becomes diminished as well as creative thinking and information recall. An individual’s decision making skills will decrease and the time it takes to learn new skills or information will increase. Sleep loss can also affect a person’s mood and temper more easily than under proper sleep conditions.

Teenagers often feel the need to cram before a major test. This is one of the most counter productive things they could do. The body needs that time to help the brain process the information from the previous day.

Other tips include:

• Get a new comfortable bed mattress
• Don’t turn the TV on while going to sleep
• Avoid caffeine or other stimulants at night
• Exercise no later than 7 PM
• Don’t eat after 8 PM
• Start relaxing about 45 minutes before you plan to go to sleep

Getting enough proper sleep at night is a decision that has to be made by the individual. This is very similar to a person who has a problem with over eating. Until that individual realizes they have a very serious and potentially life threatening condition there is nothing that anyone else can really do.

Once a person is ready to make the jump to start a sleeping properly, one of the first things they should do is keep a journal or log book. This should include information such as what they are in the evening, what time they felt tired, what time they went to bed, how long did it take to fall asleep, how many times did they awaken at night, what time they woke up, and how they felt in the morning. Keep this current while you are making changes to your sleep schedule so you can track to see what works for you and what doesn’t.

A sure sign that someone is suffering from a sleep disorder, is if they experience the symptoms for any extend amount of time. If that is the case, need to realize that their sleep disorder could be affecting their overall health.

Reportedly there are up to 35 million Americans who suffer from a sleep disorder that can be classified as chronic, meaning that the symptoms have lasted at least one month or more. There are also up to 30 million Americans who are currently suffering from a sleep disorder that has affected them for less than one month. The total 65 million people with some type of sleep disorder represent a staggering 25% of all Americans.

Unfortunately, neither of these types of sleep disorders described above will disappear by itself without a change to the person’s lifestyle, nutritional supplementation, or diet. Chronic sleep disorders often include conditions such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, insomnia, sleep walking, and restless leg syndrome.

Sleep disorders become present due to a number of triggers such as stress, illness, lack of proper nutrition. Mild sleeping disorders can often be reduced if the proper steps are taken. There are many all natural methods that can help your body reset itself so it can get a better night’s sleep. If symptoms are present for more than 4 weeks, it is recommended that the individual seek the advice of a trained professional and receive a complete diagnosis. This is also true if the person feels they could be a danger to themselves or others, while driving to work or operating heavy machinery.

Sleep apnea is one of the most dangerous types of sleep disorders, since it occurs when an individual’s air way is temporarily blocked during sleep. This happens when the muscles surrounding the throat become so relaxed that the air way is shut off. While most people who have sleep apnea snore, it does not mean that everyone who snores has sleep apnea.

Narcolepsy is when an individual uncontrollably falls asleep intermittently throughout the day. This type of sleep disorder only affects an estimated 25 out of every 100,000 people and is usually found more often in teenagers and individuals in their early twenties.

Insomnia is the most common type of sleep disorder, and thankfully is one of the easiest to manage. Small adjustments to a person’s stress level, exercise routine, diet, or supplementation regiment can make enough of a difference to halt the effects of insomnia.

Sleepwalking also known medically as Somnambulism, is characterized normally by walking while in a state of sleep. Normally the body produces a chemical during the REM (rapid eye movement) phase, which paralyzes the body. Those that suffer from sleepwalking do not have this chemical released.

RLS (restless leg syndrome) is the second most diagnosed sleep disorder and it affects over 12 million Americans every year. This disorder causes the individual to intermittently have moments of uncontrolled limb movement due to a sensation of discomfort in the legs. People often describe the sensation is tingly, painful, or prickly. This disorder usually affects middle-aged and elderly individuals.

If an individual feels that their condition is too serious or life threatening to be managed by natural methods, they should contact their medical professional for more information and a diagnosis. Melatonin and valerian root have both been shown to be extremely effective alternatives to prescription medications. Understanding the triggers to a person’s sleep disorder is an important step to effectively managing their condition. A slight change in an individual’s daily lifestyle to remove some stress triggers, improve their diet and with some additional nutritional supplementation from a product that includes melatonin and / or valerian root, the person can very effectively manage their sleep disorder.

A shocking and very disturbing finding was discovered during a University of California study. They found that individuals, who sleep more than 8 hours per day, have a 50% higher mortality rate than people who sleep less.

Before we decide what the right amount of sleep is, we need to understand what exactly sleep is, and why our bodies need to sleep.

Sleep is the normal state of natural rest in which a person does not respond to soft sounds, touches, or sounds that they would react to if they were fully awake. Being asleep is an altered state of consciousness. While the person is not actually unconscious, they have a decrease in voluntary body movement, metabolism, and reaction of external stimulations. At the same time the person has an increase in their rate of anabolism, which is the synthesis of new cell structures.

Sleep is comprised of five stages that are essential for a healthy body and mind. An individual will cycle through the stages about 4 to 5 times during a typical eight hour rest period.

• Stage 1: This stage is sometimes called “drowsy sleep”. The individual drifts in and out of sleep for 5 to 10 minutes and can be awakened easily. This is thought to be the gateway phase between being awake and asleep.

• Stage 2: The person has now entered a light sleep phase. It is characterized by a decrease in body temperature, and heart rate. Additionally, most eye movements stop and the person’s brain waves become slower.

• Stage 3: Also known as Slow-Wave Sleep, and is associated with the appearance of delta-waves which signal that the individual has entered the beginning of a deep sleep state. It is usually very difficult to wake someone from this stage.

• Stage 4: This is the true phase of deep sleep. Individuals awakened during this phase will be very groggy and confused for several minutes while they regain their bearings. During this state, night terrors, sleepwalking, and bed wetting can occur.

• Stage 5: During REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, dreaming is more likely to occur. An individual will experience faster more rapid breathing, and increased blood pressure and heart rates.

The average person is like to spend 1.5 to 2.0 hours going through the 5 phases. This occurs about 4 to 5 times during a typical 8 hour resting period.

People need to sleep so their body can rejuvenate and restore itself. Many body functions will not work properly without proper diet, exercise, and rest. Sleep allows our brain to properly store information that was learned the previous day. This is primarily accomplished during the REM cycle of sleep. If the body does not achieve a proper REM status, then the brain will not be able to function effectively. Some experts in the sleep field believe that neurons that are utilized during the day are repaired by the body at night. When an individual experiences a lack of sleep, the body isn’t able to repair itself. During sleep, our bodies release growth hormones that are responsible for our physical and mental development. This is why it is extremely important for children and teenagers to sleep well every night.

Now that we have defined what sleep is, and why people need to sleep, the question is how much sleep does an individual need. One of the keys to optimizing a person’s sleep is to stay on a regular routine of when they go to bed, and when they get up. Whenever a person changes this, it can throw the body off schedule and make the person feel more tired then they really are.

Most adults need somewhere between 7 to 8 hours of solid sleep a night. While everyone is different it is recommended that a person track how much sleep they got and how they feel in the morning to determine how much sleep they need.

A study conducted by Boston University found that participants who sleep less than 6 hours a night or more than 9 had an increased risk of developing diabetes. Those that slept 7 to 8 hours had the lowest occurrence of diabetes.