Learning to Sleep Like a Baby

In this fast-paced world of ours, sleep has become a precious commodity.

Many experts say we are a sleep deprived society and that we are not doing ourselves any favors by missing valuable sleep time. More than half of my new clients say they are experiencing some type of sleep difficulty  - trouble falling asleep, staying asleep or feeling rested when they wake up. Getting a good sleep is a lifestyle habit they really want to work on improving.  

As it becomes harder and harder to get a good night's sleep, more and more people are reaching for sleeping pills and other sleep-inducing medications. A study by the Centers for Disease Control showed that, because of this trend, unintentional poisoning deaths involving sleeping pills, antidepressants and tranquilizers grew 84 percent from 1999 to 2004. Taking a sleep medication is a serious decision and should not be taken lightly.  

The CDC says this about sleep: "How much sleep we need varies between individuals but generally changes as we age. The National Sleep Foundation suggests that school-age children (5-10 years) need 10-11 hours of sleep daily, teens (10-17 years) need 8.5-9 hours, and adults need 7-9 hours.

According to data from the National Health Interview Survey, nearly 30 percent of adults reported an average of ≤6 hours of sleep per day in 2005-2007. In 2009, only 31 percent of high school students reported getting at least 8 hours of sleep on an average school night." 

Before you try improving your sleep by reaching for the pill bottle, consider other safer and more effective ways to get a better night's sleep. Click Here to read my newsletter article, Learn to Sleep Like a Baby.