Sleep Deeply, Live Longer

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Chamomile tea has a proven track record of promoting sleep. PLANT STOCK

If you woke up this morning feeling less than well rested, you’re not alone. No one is sure exactly how many of us spend our nights tossing and turning, but scientists estimate that somewhere between 10 percent to 34 percent of Americans suffer from insomnia. Our national lack of sleep amounts to big business for pharmaceutical companies, which spent more than $329 million in 2005 advertising prescription sleep aids. And those efforts have a big payoff — Americans spend approximately $2 billion each year on sleeping drugs, and $20 billion on other sleep-related products.

More than 60 percent of people in a 2005 survey conducted by the National Sleep Foundation admitted to driving while sleepy. But fatigue is not only dangerous in the short term — it also can have lasting impacts on our health. Studies show that sleep deprivation can contribute to everything from hypertension to depression to obesity.

If you share your bed with someone, chances are your inability to snooze disrupts your partner’s rest as well: In a recent Harris poll, 25 percent of people said that their partner’s sleeping habits kept them awake, costing them three or more hours of sleep each week. (Rest easy — most still said that they slept better with their partner than without.)

Given the statistics, it may be tempting to seek relief in a bottle of sleeping pills, but most of us can go a long way toward getting the rest we need by making a few basic lifestyle changes. Even for those with more serious sleep disorders, there’s a simple behavior modification plan to help you get reacquainted with your pillow.

Benefits of Sleep

While everyone’s sleep needs vary, a recent study conducted at the University of Chicago showed that, on average, most people spend about seven and a half hours sleeping or trying to sleep. Plus, those who sleep six to seven hours a night actually live longer than people who sleep less than four hours or more than eight hours, according to a study conducted by the American Cancer Society and the University of California, San Diego.

Although it may seem as though we’re just “lying there” when we’re sleeping, our bodies are anything but passive, says Roger Cole, a sleep researcher and well-known yoga instructor who holds a doctorate in health psychology and specializes in behavioral methods to improve sleep.

The brain and body are busy performing a number of restorative processes while we slumber away. For instance, sleeping is an important part of retaining memories and learning skills.