Here’s some of the things that we do know about sleep:

• Sleep helps our body systems to rejuvenate.  It especially keeps our immune system functioning at optimum levels.
• Sleep is the fertile ground for dreams, which are a bridge between our conscious and subconscious minds.
• Sleep helps us grow?  Yes, growth hormone is released during sleep!
• Sleep helps us conserve and rebuild.  If we never slept, our bodies — muscles, tissues, and organs — would never get a chance to rebuild and restore.  Our bodies are a lot like rechargeable batteries in that sense.

What happens when we don’t get enough sleep:

• Inability or difficulty concentrating
• Our reflexes are hampered, and we can’t react as quickly as someone who is not sleep deprived.
• We are more prone to disease
• We become more irritable
• May be associated with weight gain/obesity
• Extreme sleep deprivation can cause hallucinations or even death.

So, it’s pretty apparent how important sleep is though not everything is known about it at this point.  Just think of the last time you went without a full night’s sleep, and how it affected you the following day.  Remember, sleep is not a luxury, but a necessity!

Sleep is one of those things that most people either love or hate. There is some middle ground, but not much. You have the crowd that love sleep and don’t get enough of it, and you have another crowd that see it as a waste of time. They are just “too busy to sleep”. Some see it as a “necessary evil”, and try to get by on as little sleep possible.

If you find yourself in the category of those who love sleep, and want to get more enjoyable sleep, you are in good company. You are one of the sane ones! Desiring to get an adequate amount of sleep while enjoying it is healthy. So what do you do to get achieve the sleep of your dreams (pun intended)? It depends on what is inhibiting your sleep. Let’s go through some obstacles to sleeping peacefully, and find out how to get around those obstacles.

Some of the Obstacles to Healthy, Enjoyable Sleep

What if you are a parent, and can’t seem to get enough sleep because you have a newborn that wakes up and needs to be fed? Men, don’t always leave it up to the women! Take turns getting up with the baby if he or she is formula fed. If mom insists on breastfeeding the baby and not pumping breast milk, get out of bed and bring the baby to mother, and take the baby back when it is finished being nourished. Just the getting up out of bed can be a hindrance enough for a mother to get back to sleep. As a chivalrous man, it’s a great token of your loyalty to do this for your wife. And, for the woman’s part, let your man sleep in on the weekends if he wants to. He needs some stress relief as well! It’s a partnership, ladies.

Exercise can Help You Sleep Better

If you can’t sleep because of worries at work and stresses related to your career, make sure that you are getting enough exercise. Exercise can be a great way to relieve stress, as it releases endorphins, you body’s natural morphine — acting as painkiller and mood enhancer. Believe it or not, exercise can help you sleep better, too!  Of course, with worries it is always good to have a confidant, and hopefully that could be your spouse, boyfriend/girlfriend, brother/sister, parent, or relative. At least somebody who can listen and empathize, possibly giving you good ideas and advice.

Try Switching Out Your Mattress

If you can’t sleep because your mattress is uncomfortable and it’s been ten years since you bought the one you have now, by all means get a new mattress. It’s worth the investment for the 1/3 of your life that you spend sleeping! There are so many mattress choices today from pillow top to memory foam to latex to gel, and on and on. You should be able to find one that meets your criteria for comfort, and eliminate many sleepless nights. Getting the right mattress can also help those who can’t sleep because of health problems with symptoms of pain. Look for a mattress such as memory foam or latex that can distribute your body weight evenly and take weight off of your pressure points.

There are numerous reasons why a person isn’t able to enjoy their sleep or get enough of it, these are just a small sampling. Stay with us, and you’ll learn a lot more about sleep, sleep disorders, and solutions to the problems of not getting deep, restorative sleep.