Sleep Pressure Points

Sleep is one of the most basic and universal activities in which we all engage. Yet, getting to sleep, staying asleep, and waking refreshed can be highly elusive to most of us some of the time, and to many of us all of the time. We spend one-third of our lives under the covers, but sleeping well is one of the most a highly underestimated factors in feeling well and performing at our best. This article explores techniques you can implement tonight, to achieve restful, rejuvenating sleep.

Sleep deprivation can be life threatening to you and those around you. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that more than 100,000 car accidents a year -- and 1,500 deaths -- are the direct result of people driving while sleepy. The nuclear reactor explosion at Chernobyl, poisoning thousands of square miles with radioactive particles and causing death and serious medical illnesses, was found to be the result of human error by overworked shift workers who had been on duty for more than 18 hours. The explosion of the space shuttle Challenger has also been suggested to be caused in part by engineers and supervisors who had been awake for 50 hours continuously prior to launch and overlooked warnings about possible mechanical failure. Errors in judgment caused by sleepiness was also cited as a contributing factor in the Exxon Valdez tanker accident.

The quality and quantity of sleep has a direct relation to the quality and quantity of life. Dr. Kripke from University of California has found that most people need at least 6 to 7 hours of sleep in order to perform at their physical and mental best. The same study also found that taking prescription sleeping medication every day increases the risk of death by 25%.

Additionally, a sleep debt can rob us of our quality of life. Over time, insufficient sleep accumulates. Slowly but surely, a sleep debt deteriorates our physical and cognitive acuity slowly until we are overwhelmed by powerful and sudden sleepiness. The nationwide sleep debt, resulting in fatigue, has been reported to cost the American economy about $120 million annually in both health expenditures, lost worker productivity, and property destruction. The personal costs of sleep debt can include: Read More
Sleep - Tips For Getting the Best Rest of Your Life
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Dr._Ronald_M._Klatz]Dr. Ronald M. Klatz and Dr. Robert Goldman