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The sleep/wake cycle is a daily pattern that determines when it's time to sleep and when it's time to be awake. For most people, the ideal cycle includes seven to nine hours of sleep (typically at night) followed by 15 to 17 hours of wakefulness. Your sleep/wake cycle is the same as your circadian rhythm which is the same as your body clock. It is a natural, internal system that's designed to regulate feelings of sleepiness and wakefulness over a 24-hour period. Your circadian rhythm c …

Getting a good night's rest is not only important for your mental and physical health, it's necessary for being a safe driver. In order to have the reflexes and quick decision making abilities to drive safely, you must get sleep. Driving while drowsy contributes to almost 100,000 accidents a year according to the National Highway Safety Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. They also report that 1500 deaths per year result from drivers falling asleep behind the wheel. Even t …

Having a nightly routine can really get your mind and body in the right frame of mind for sleep. When you do this routine every night before bed it can help your body realize that it is time for bed, making it easier to fall asleep. What should my nightly routine consist of?Anything that you find calming and relaxing. A nightly routine will be very personal to your needs and your space but here are some suggestions to help you get started. Switch off your electronic devices. Do a simple r …

The lighting in your bedroom can either wake you up or help you to sleep. Melatonin is a hormone responsible for helping us to fall asleep and stay asleep. It has been found that blue light and white light severely disrupt the production of melatonin. Our bodies interpret blue and white light as daylight which will decrease the amount of melatonin produced. Having these colors of lights in your bedroom may be contributing to your less than stellar nighttime sleeping. So how can …

Eating late at night and having a full tummy seems to be a good idea as you are eating. Dinner can sometimes happen late in the evening, or relaxing before bed has you reaching for that bowl of ice cream. But it is recommended that you avoid large meals or big snacks 2 to 3 hours before going to sleep. If not, indigestion may be your nighttime companion instead of solid sleep. When you sleep, your body does all the restorative work that it is unable to do during the day. So when your di …

Studies show that a tidy bedroom means better sleep. The National Sleep Foundation found that people who make their beds are 19% more likely to sleep well than people who don’t.  Not only is it helpful to make your bed, but also keeping up with daily cleaning can help you sleep better as well. When you have a space that is clean, it can be a much more relaxing and comfortable place to be. This can lead to more restful sleep.Cleaning such as putting dirty laundry into a basket, clearing …

We all know that getting a good night's rest can be difficult sometimes. Sleep is such an important factor to being productive and feeling good during the day. So what can you do to try and improve your sleep quality? There are many things that you can try. Take a look at your sleeping space and your sleep habits and see if there's anything that might be stopping you from getting that sleep you deserve. Sometimes, making a small change can make the biggest difference. Here are a few tips to help …

Do you jump up from a sound sleep in the morning all flustered when you hear the blaring alarm clock go off. Do you stumble out of bed groggily, wishing you could go back to bed? If so, the alarm clock is not doing you any favors.Why not try to wake up without an alarm clock?Do you want to try and train yourself to get up without the jarring noise of the alarm? The key is understanding how to use your natural circadian rhythm to your benefit. When you let your natural rhythm wake you up …