Sleep for Improved Health

If it is one thing that I have consistently struggled with on and off for the past few years; it's my sleep (or lack of it). Without a doubt, getting a sufficient amount of sleep is one of the most important aspects of leading a healthy lifestyle and warding off diseases such as cancer, heart attack, stroke and Alzheimer's (to name a few). If this is the case though, then why are so many of us struggling to get our beauty rest?
. Someone who is sleep deprived is a person who cannot think straight. It is someone who moves through their day like a zombie- not really utilizing their full potential to effectively get things done. For example, recently, I did not get nearly enough sleep and I knew it. After staying up all night long until 6 o'clock the next morning, I had only gotten a total of two hours worth of sleep. The next day, I was groggy, irritable and out of sorts. I also experienced stomach issues, felt slightly lightheaded, had no appetite and was actually falling asleep at the keyboard by my computer.
Concerned, I tried various relaxation therapies, the latest of which has included going on the Internet and bookmarking a website that plays a thirty minute, continuous loop of rain/thunderstorms. It's a great way to help relax and unwind, thus helping me fall asleep. However, I still needed to find out what was causing me all of the sleeping problems. As it turns out, stress and anxiety are two of the major factors affecting people to the point where it disturbs or interrupts their sleeping cycle. Not only this, but apparently, those who are extremely stressed or who experience stress fairly easily also have a much shorter lifespan than those who aren't as stressed (or who know how to manage stress). The bottom line is that you need to make sure that you are getting sufficient sleep each night. For some, this means turning on a fan in order to create some white noise, while for others it means meditation, yoga or deep breathing exercises.
One thing that you should not do if you are having trouble sleeping is any sort of activity that is going to stimulate your brain too much. Some of the worst culprits for this include the computer and the television. Before going to bed, prepare your body for sleep by reading a decent book. I say 'decent' here because, again, you don't want to get involved in a story line that is so compelling that it won't allow you to put the book down. This is also the reason why people tend to shy away from television; because the television show is too good!