Although everybody suffers from similar problems if deprived of sleep, the actual amount of sleep required in order for different people to be healthy is very variable. Most adults need between seven and nine and a half hours per night, but some can get by comfortably on just five and [...]
For many people with insomnia, the most difficult thing is actually falling asleep in the first place. Understanding how this process works in healthy people can help you to identify the origin of your problems and work toward solving them. As scientists learn more about it, it is hoped that [...]
Everybody suffers from sleeplessness from time to time. Whether it's caused by illness, stress, pain or over-excitement, it's a common problem. So how can you tell if your problem is just temporary or if it's becoming something more serious? How long should you wait before deciding that you may have [...]
Many will be familiar with the feeling - a late night, difficulty sleeping or too many early mornings, and not only do you feel exhausted but you look rough too! There is no doubt that lack of sleep can affect the way you feel, but does it have any affect [...]
Sleep is not only a period of rest during our waking lives, but is needed to keep our bodies and minds functioning smoothly. Like many things in life, we rarely consider its importance until there is a problem such as insomnia. Sleep is complex and just like when we are [...]
Ask someone why they sleep and they are likely to reply: "Because I'm tired of course…" Ask them why they are tired and they may reply: "I haven't had enough sleep…"This shows the importance of the relationship between sleep and being awake. So why do we sleep? Could we do [...]
Most people have fairly strong ideas about what is the right time to sleep. This may depend on how they have been brought up, or have developed from the demands of work, family and other commitments. For some, fitting in a few hours shut-eye is very low on their list [...]
Every parent knows the importance of sleep – it seems you just can't get enough of it! Pregnancy is a good introduction to this as an expectant mother's sleep is often disturbed as they adjust to their changing body. Sleep and Babies Babies cannot manage with night-time sleep alone and [...]
If you consider the amount of time we spend sleeping, it is surprising that there has been so little interest by sociologists and historians until the last century. Although researchers have studied and recorded every other part of our evolvement, the mystery of sleep seems to have offered little inspiration [...]
