As per the University Of Chicago study even healthy individuals with an average body mass index (BMI) who sleep less than six hours per night experienced hormonal changes that affect their future body weight and also their overall health.The fact of the matter is that Sleep is important for everyone - Babies, children, men and women..

When you ask sleep-deprived adults why they cannot seem to get enough rest at night, here is what they come up with : " I get hungry right before bed time and end up eating a hearty meal" or " My bedroom is hot and stuffy, my mattress sags and the neighbors are noisy" or " I am so frustrated when I wake up in the middle of the night that I wake up worrying what is going to happen tomorrow ( when there is some disturbing occurrence that causes anguish all the time ) " or “ I kept tossing and turning but couldn't sleep a wink all through the night “.

 Given above are some of the typical reasons why people are unable to have a restful sleep at night. There are many factors that seriously affect the quantity and the quality of our sleep. Fortunately,there are also proven strategies that will enable us to overcome these common sleep obstacles.

I am listing out below some of the more common reasons

Caffeine after 4 PM should be avoided

Caffeine is known to stimulate metabolism, which keeps you awake and alert. Although most people survive and go through their day and work schedules consuming cups of this popular beverage, it can still be called as the most widely used drug in the world, of course legal! It is consumed by 85% of the population according to a survey although I fail to understand what cross section of people have been taken into account while this survey was conducted.

However, Caffeine is a major cause of insomnia, more so than any other food or beverage. Having Coffee after 4 pm will in all likeness disrupt your sleep since caffeine has a life of six hours. If you consume more than 300 mg, which is about 3 cups of coffee, soda or any energy drink, it is definitely bound to affect your sleep. Everyone's sensitivity to caffeine is different but according o studies it generally increases with age. Caffeine not only makes it difficult to fall asleep, but also increases the frequency and duration of night time awakenings. It becomes a vicious circle when you consume more coffee after a poor night's sleep.

Try to break out of this cycle and eliminate all caffeine's from your diet for a week although it may be hard in the beginning so gradually tapering your intake helps. Substitute your usual caffeine consumption with either fruit juice or plain water. You are bound to see the difference in your sleep pattern within a matter of days.

Avoid Alcohol at least three hours before bed

Many people are of the opinion that a nightcap facilitates sleep but one should remember that alcohol is not a sedative and is in fact more of a stimulant. Having a drink after your work or before an early dinner is fine because your body has plenty of time to absorb the alcohol. If you continue to drink even after that it is bound to disrupt and probably even destroy the quality of your sleep.

According to experts Alcohol causes you to wake up in ( Rapid Eye Movement ) sleep every 90 minutes, so throughout the night you will be continually shaken and stirred. Also, it is very important to take note that mixing alcohols with sleeping pills or tranquilizers can be lethal, avoid it at any cost!

Quit Smoking for instant rest

Nicotine is an even stronger stimulant than caffeine. It makes it hard to fall asleep and to maintain sleep all through the night. Why this happens is because your body is actually experiencing withdrawal symptoms, craving for another hit! Smoking also worsens snoring and also can cause life threatening sleep apnoea ( a temporary inability to breathe or a temporary interruption in breathing ).

Cigarette smoking increases Blood pressure, heart rate and stimulates brain activity. Studies have clearly indicated that sleep improves immediately when subjects stop smoking – two pack a day coming down to one pack a day itself shows positive results by cutting the time they remain awake at night by half. So, smokers beware – all that you are doing by chain smoking is burning hard earned money, sleep and health.

Be as active as possible

This may sound contradictory but boredom actually causes loss of sleep. Many elderly people who are not active try to sleep but are unable to do so. Most poor sleepers are those who sit around, watching TV, doing very little or being less active. Good sleepers tend to spend more time being active, socialising and pursuing hobbies, in fact those who are busy all the time.

They are motivated and are excited by life’s opportunities and stay mentally alert and active by getting involved in things that interest them and make them think. Even if you are at the age where you cannot be very active, try to do some mental activities like reading some interesting and stimulating books, doing cross word puzzles, Sudoku or take an online course, join an interactive online site, volunteer to do some social work – the options are many!

Don’t nap unless you must

Once you have established a good pattern of sleep at night, and are sleeping long and well, you should stop feeling tired during day time or in the afternoons. But on rare occasions you still might feel sleepy and tired, and at such times it is better to resist this or make sure that you don't nap for more than 30 minutes by which time you should be refreshed. This is called power nap by many who are busy and active through the day and keep late hours at night.

This 20 -30 minute power nap can make you more alert and productive and less anxious about getting to sleep later. As long as this nap does not affect your sleep cycle it is alright to go ahead with it, again depending on your life style.Likewise senior citizens suffering from insomnia and are struggling to get into a consistent sleep pattern should try to resist the temptation of napping during the day time.

Eating well

According to analysts there is a significant link between sleep deprivation and obesity. People sleeping for less than four hours at night are 73% more likely to be obese than those sleeping for 6-8 hours. Staying longer in bed can actually keep you from gaining weight. The less sleep you are getting the less efficient your system becomes. People falsely think that they are hungry when they are actually sleepy and end up having a snack or a meal when actually they needed a shuteye. Once you understand this, you will be able to begin to use sleep control to even lose weight!

Getting even one additional hour of sleep every night is the best solution for losing weight steadily combined with exercise and the right diet.Healthy individuals with an average BMI ( Body Mass Index ) who slept for more than six hours per night experienced hormonal changes that affect their future body weight and overall health.Apart from the the more visible changes that occur when you are sleeping less, many emotional and behavioral shifts too happen that erode motivation and coordination.

Exercise routine between 5pm and 7pm

Ask any person when is the best time to exercise and they all typically respond ‘early morning‘. Actually most health experts feel that having an extra hour of sleep is far more healthier than running around in a half- awake state in the early hours of the morning.Your body temperature is low in the mornings and you are far more likely to trip or strain a muscle because you are not fully alert or warmed up.

According to some new researches the best time to work out is between 5 and 7 in the evening. Exercising at this time will also enhance the depth of your sleep.But strenuous exercise should be avoided within three hours before bed time. Exercise normally elevates core body temperature in order to feel drowsy body temperature needs to drop. Any kind of exercise like aerobics, cycling, swimming or a brisk walk will not only improve your overall health but will also improve the quality and the quantity of your sleep.

So, live a varied and active life and this will help you feel good about yourself and make it easier for you to sleep well at night !