Early in 2006, the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) released the results of a poll which highlighted the far reaching consequences of sleep problems. Not only does lack of restful sleep impact productivity in the workplace, cause public and industrial safety issues and lead to increases in general health problems, but it also reaches into the most intimate spheres of our life: sexual activity.

Too sleepy or tired for sex? Sounds absurd? Not really. It doesn’t take a huge leap in logic to see that if your days are full of stress, on the job or at home, that when night time comes you might simply want to regenerate and save those intimate moments for when both you and your partner are really in the mood. Most people would probably agree with that, but what if sleeping problems make finding that special time harder and harder to do.

The results are easy to predict. An important part of your life and your relationship is missing and that simply adds to the stress levels. Potentially devastating to a relationship is when only one of the partners is affected and the other begins to seek alternatives. The fall out from this impacts not only the spouses or partners but also other family members as well.

Some people turn to over-the-counter drugs and they may be effective, but not usually for longer periods of time. Others seek psychological or psychiatric counseling and find solutions there. If the problem is bad enough, medical advice may be sought. But sometimes the answer is much simpler and much easier.

Here are some common tips to increase your likelihood of getting a good night’s sleep:

• Keep the bedroom free of noise and disruptions like phones and TV

• Use the bed only for sleeping and sex, don’t work in bed

• Don’t eat, drink alcohol or smoke for 2 or 3 hours before you go to bed

• Get some exercise earlier in the day

• Develop sleep rituals to let your body know it’s time to unwind and relax

• Try reading or listening to a relaxation tape at bedtime

Relaxation and sleep aid music or sounds are some of the most effective, non-drug remedies on the market today. And the sufferer has thousands to choose from so the problem is not whether they are available, but how to choose from the vast selection.

Once you have chosen your sound or music sleep aid, you are still faced with how to listen to it comfortably all night and without disturbing someone else sleeping nearby. The Sleepsonic™ Headphones in a Pillow is a patent-pending digital stereo sound delivery system that meets both these needs. By housing high-quality, digital stereo speakers in a comfortable pillow with its own volume control, you are guaranteed a comfortable discrete listening experience.

Learn more here about “Headphones in a Pillow” and discover how to Get a good night’s sleep

About 5 years ago, Scientific American Mind magazine published an interesting article about sleep disturbances. The article features research done by a historian at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University named A. Roger Ekirch.

We modern people think we need 7 – 8 uninterrupted hours of sleep per night to be fully rested. But most of us still don’t feel all that good in the mornings. So, what’s up with that?

Ekirch found that in pre-industrial times, people slept to a totally different rhythm. This was before artificial light made it possible to have “daylight” 24 hours a day.

In those earlier times, about 2 hours after sunset, we went to bed and slept for about 4 hours. We woke up and did all kinds of things. According to the article, between the first and second sleeps, people got out of bed and did household chores or visited with family and friends. Ekirch says, “They did anything and everything.”

This time also afforded a chance “for quiet contemplation or – if you had company – sexual intimacy”.

Then we went back to sleep for another 4 hours. Presto! We had our 8 hours,
but in two chunks. And this seems to fit with what is called our circadian rhythms, which is our biological clock that influences how much we sleep and when.

Modern man has now changed this and ignores the circadian rhythm if it conflicts with our need for more social interaction. And it is not only the need to be around people, it extends to the almost perverse desire to be “interconnected” 24 hours a day. What else can explain many people’s total reluctance to turn off their cell phones, Blackberrys or PDAs, and have them next to their bed?

The desire for “nightlife” which is completely against our natural tendencies springs from the ever increasing pressure to work more and more during the day, leaving little time for real social interaction until after nightfall.

That leads us to a conclusion drawn by both Ekirch and other researchers, among them Thomas A. Wehr at the National Institute of Mental Health, that waking up after a few hours of sleep at night may not be insomnia at all. Instead it is our body resetting to its normal rhythm.

However, since most medical researchers and practitioners are not aware of this research, they continue to prescribe medication and other forms of therapy for what they may be incorrectly diagnosing as a sleep disorder.

So maybe waking in the night is just your body saying, “Hey, that’s enough for now. Wake me up for awhile and then let’s sleep again.”

And, if we’re honest, how often is our body right about what our body needs?

Here’s where you can find more more about the fine art of sleeping and here is where you can get some great sleep tips.