Getting a good night's sleep is crucial to maintaining your health.  Lack of quality of sleep has been linked to an increased risk in developing obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and infections.

As many as 70 million Americans may be affected by chronic sleep loss or sleep disorders—an annual cost of $16 billion in healthcare expenses and $50 billion in lost productivity.

How much sleep is needed per night varies individually but, generally, most adults need between 7 and 9 hours.  Sleep needs change throughout a person's lifetime, as well.

Getting a Good Night's Sleep

• Stick to a sleep schedule—go to bed and wake up the same time every day.
• Don't exercise too late in the day—at least 30 minutes per day but not later than 5 or 6 hours before bedtime.
• Avoid caffeine and nicotine—both are stimulants and can take up to 8 hours to fully wear off.
• Avoid alcohol before bed—alcohol robs you of deep sleep or REM sleep, keeping you in the lighter stages of sleep.
• Avoid large meals and beverages late at night.
• If possible, avoid medications that delay or disrupt your sleep or take them in the morning instead of in the evening.
• Don't nap after 3 p.m. or for more than 1 hour.
• Relax before bed—make sure you include winding down in your schedule.  A relaxing activity like reading or listening to music should be a part of your bedtime ritual.
• Take a hot bath before bed.
• Have a good sleep environment—keep your bedroom cool, comfortable and dark. Remove TVs and computers as they can be distractions.
• Have the right sunlight exposure—daylight is key to regulating daily sleep patterns.  Wake up with the sun or use very bright lights (or a light box) for at least 30 minutes each day. Or, if weather permits, go outside in natural sunlight for at least 30 minutes every day. 
• Don't lie in bed awake—get up and do a relaxing activity if you lie awake for more than 30 minutes.  The anxiety of not being able to fall asleep can make it harder to fall asleep.
• See your doctor if you continue to have trouble sleeping.

Sleep Disorder Symptoms

• It takes you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep.
• You awaken frequently and have trouble falling back to sleep.
• You awaken too early in the morning.
• You frequently don't feel well rested despite sleeping 7-8 hours or more a night.
• You feel sleepy during the day and fall asleep within 5 minutes if you take a nap or you fall asleep at inappropriate times during the day.
• You snore loudly, snort, gasp or make choking sounds while you sleep or you stop breathing for short periods.
• You have creeping, tingling or crawling feelings in your legs that are relieved when you massage or move them—especially in the evening or when you try to fall asleep.
• You have vivid, dreamlike experiences while falling asleep or dozing.
• You have episodes of sudden muscle weakness when you are angry, fearful or when you laugh.
• You feel like you can't move upon first waking.
• Your arms or legs jerk often when you're asleep.
• You regularly need stimulants during the day to stay awake.

10 Sleep Myths

1) Your body and brain shut down for rest and relaxation when you sleep.
There is no evidence showing any major organs, including the brain, or regulatory system, shut down during sleep.  Some physiological processes actually become more active while you sleep.  For example, secretion of certain hormones is boosted and activity of the pathways in the brain needed for learning and memory is heightened.

2) Getting 1 hour less sleep per night than needed won't affect your daytime functioning.
Even slightly less sleep can affect your ability to think properly and respond quickly.  If you consistently don't get enough sleep, eventually a sleep debt builds up that will make you excessively tired during the day.

3) Your body adjusts quickly to different sleep schedules.
It can take more than a week to adjust to a dramatically altered sleep/wake cycle, like when you travel across many time zones or switch from working the day shift to the night shift.

4) People need less sleep the older they get.
Older people don't need less sleep, however, they often get less sleep or find their sleep less refreshing.  As people age they spend less time in the deep, restful stages of sleep and are more easily awakened.  Older people are also more likely to have insomnia or other medical conditions that disrupt their sleep.

5) Extra sleep at night can cure excess daytime fatigue.
Quality of sleep is just as important as quantity of sleep.  Some people don't feel well rested after 8 hours.  A number of sleep disorders and other medical conditions can affect the quality of sleep. Sleeping more won't alleviate the daytime sleepiness these disorders or conditions cause.  However, many disorders and conditions can be treated with behavioral changes or with medical therapies.

6) You can make up lost sleep during the week by sleeping more on the weekend.
This can help relieve part of sleep debt but it won't completely make up for lost sleep. Sleeping later on the weekends can affect your biological clock making it much harder to go to sleep at the right time on Sunday nights and get up early on Monday mornings.

7) Naps are a waste of time.
Though not a substitute for a good night's sleep, naps can be restorative and help counter some of the impaired performance resulting from not getting enough sleep at night.  However, don't nap for more than 1 hour or past 3 p.m.  If you take frequent naps during the day, you may have a sleep disorder that should be treated.

8) Snoring is normal.
Some snoring is common, though loud, frequent snoring can be a sign of sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder that should be treated.

9) Children who don't get enough night sleep will show signs of sleepiness during the day.
Unlike adults, children who don't get enough nighttime sleep are more active than normal during the day.  They also show difficulty paying attention and behaving properly.  Thus, they may be misdiagnosed as having attention deficit hyperactivity.

10) The main cause of insomnia is worry.
Although stress and worry can cause a short bout of insomnia, a persistent inability to fall asleep or stay asleep can be caused by a number of other factors including certain medications, sleep disorders and medical conditions like asthma and arthritis.

Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

See more tipsheets.