People are getting 25 % less sleep that they did a century ago. This isn’t just a matter of fatigue; it causes serious damage to the body. Sleep deprivation can alter levels of thyroid and stress level hormones, which play a part in everything from memory and immune system to the heart and metabolism.

Lack of sleep can lead to:

·      Weight Gain

·      Depression

·      High blood sugar levels and an increased risk of diabetes

·      Brain Damage

“10 steps to help give the body the sleep it craves”

1.     Sprinkle just washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water and the iron them before making the bed. This sent is proven to promote relaxation.

2.     Hide the clock, so that its glow won’t disturb sleep and make sure there is no light coming from other sources including windows as this will seriously impair the body’s ability to produce melatonin.

3.     Choose the right pillow—neck pillows, which resemble a rectangle with a depression in the middle, can enhance the quality of sleep and reduce neck pain.

4.     Paint bedroom sage green, or another soothing color, which will provide a visual reminder of sleep.

5.     Exercise—helps our body’s transition between the phases of sleep more smoothly. Since exercise places physical stress on the body, the brain increases the amount of time we spend in deep sleep, the phase that during which our bodies repair themselves.

6.     Kick the dog or cat out of the bedroom—studies show they snore.

7.     Take a hot bath 90-120 minutes before bedtime; it increases core body temperature and when it abruptly drops it signals to the body that it’s time for sleep.

8.     Keep a notepad by the bedside --If you wake in the middle of the night with your mind going, you can transfer your to-do list on the page and go back to sleep unworried.

9.     Put heavier curtains over the windows—even the barely noticeable light from street lights, a full moon or the neighbor’s house can interfere with the circadian rhythm changes needed to fall asleep.

10.  Eat a handful of walnuts before bed —they are a great source of tryptophan, a sleep enhancing amino acid.