Just how many of us are getting the recommended 6-8 hours of sleep? If you fall asleep, can you stay asleep throughout the night? With the amount of prescription sleep aids sold in this country it appears that many of us are having difficulty meeting our sleep requirements. Getting approximately 8 hours of sleep is crucial for a healthy immune system and a must to regulate our hormones. Poor sleep habits increase accidents, affect memory, eating habits and the ability to deal with stress. Lack of sleep also contributes to symptoms of chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and accelerates aging.

Are you one of the 82 million who experience these common symptoms:

Wake up feeling un-refreshed
Have difficulty falling asleep
Wake up early and are not able to get back to sleep
Waking frequently during the night

Is taking a sleep medication like Ambien and Lunesta the answer? Recently there have been multiple reports of bizarre behavior with no conscious recollection of their actions, by folks taking these prescription sleep aids. Some report that they have felt drugged the next day and attribute their corresponding car accidents to the taking of these types of medications. These hazardous behaviors may indicate that the long term effects of taking these types of drugs may be worse than the original problem.

So what can you do to gain a good nights sleep:

Develop a sleep routine. Going to bed early and at the same time every night helps to assist your body in gaining a handle on restful sleep. You get twice the benefit from the sleep you acquire between the hours of 10 pm to midnight than those gained after 12 am.

Daily exercise reduces stress and assists in getting a good nights sleep. Studies have shown that 20 to 30 minutes of daily exercise has a profound influence on the ability to obtain satisfying sleep. Be sure to exercise 5 to 6 hours before bedtime to allow the body time to cool down.

Removing yourself from stimulating activities such as watching television and working at the computer is a must to allow the body and brain to relax. Adding lavender oil on your pillow at night creates a wonderful yet calming aroma. Drinking Chamomile tea also helps with relaxation and promotes restful sleep. Listening to soothing music, reading (non-invigorating material), journaling, stretching, deep breathing, sleeping in a completely dark room, taking a warm bath, burning your favorite incense, avoiding stimulates and not eating late at night, are some additional tips to assist you in regaining deep, restful sleep.

Natural sleep formulas that include valerian, hops, kava kava, lemon balm, scullcap, wild lettuce and passion flower are just some of the most popular natural sleep remedies that have been used for many years. Magnesium and calcium are also beneficial to those looking for a solution to their sleep issues.

When all else fails you may want to try massage, acupuncture, cranial sacral manipulation or EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique).

I would like to make clear, that there is a direct relationship between sunlight and sleep. Sunlight initiates the production of serotonin which slows down at night when the pineal gland starts converting its stores of serotonin to melatonin. This is another reason that sleeping in a dark room and moving away from the television and computer (due to the light they give off) helps promote sleep. While waiting to restore your natural sleep clock you may want to investigate or supplement with melatonin, or melatonin