As I was walking my dog and listening to the radio one morning, the radio DJ talked about how people nowadays are into the New Sex. The New Sex mostly requires a bed as well, starts with an S too, but ends with a P. Some have more of it, and some have less of it but at the end of the day, we all need it, crave it and deprivation of it makes us cranky !! Give Up ? The New Sex the DJ is referring to…is Sleep.

According to a Forbes Magazine investigation done last year, Sleep is something everyone needs and wants. We have to have it, but yet a lot of us have trouble getting it these days. Experts agree that 8.5 hours is the optimal amount of sleep each night for an average person. However, most of us only get about an average of 6.8 hours a night. About 10 percent have trouble falling asleep and then staying asleep. Others say they don't have the time, as the 24/7 society forces them to perform more and do more on less sleep. People are leading faster paced lifestyles. As a result, sleep is supposedly fast replacing sex as a much favored activity at the end of the day.

Some of the reasons why people are not able to get into the sheep counting mode include :-

1. Chronic Fatigue
Caused by being intensely exhausted but yet not being able to get a good night sleep or some well-deserved rest due to stress or not being able to wind down at the end of the day. This should be one of the common causes for sleep disorder given the extensive number of work hours that we generally clock in each day at work.

2. Insomnia
This is to be one of the worse form of sleep disorder. Your body knows it is tired, it is resting on the bed, but yet, you are not able to go into slumber, probably because of nagging issues going on in your mind, non-conducive sleep environment (eg. glaring lights, loud music in the background) or it might even be your loved one causing you to lose sleep (eg. Having a partner who snores or who cannot sleep as well, and so decides that misery loves company by tossing and turning in bed.)

3. Habitual Long Term Sleep Deprivation
Did you know that if you condition your body to sleep late every night and wake up early every morning with an insufficient number of hours of sleep, your body will acclimatize to the pattern and tend to only feel sleepy past a certain hour and will automatically wake up at around the same time as well, no matter now much you want to laze in bed and be able to sleep in.

4. Nightmares
Most of the above sleep deprivation symptoms can be counteracted with a little change in your lifestyle pattern once you know what is causing it. But if you are unable to sleep because of recurrent nightmares, it is a sign that there is something going on in your subconscious mind. This is where it is highly recommended that you seek professional help as it might not be that easy to eliminate the root of this problem, seeing as it varies from person to person, depending on what is bear-bugging you.

Some side effects of sleep deprivation include irritability, anxiety and even weight gain. You might also find yourself not being able to concentrate on your day to day activities. The worse part of not being able to sleep, has to be accelerated aging. This is where you notice people with insufficient sleep having dark eye sacs, much dreaded wrinkles and even looking many years older than their actual age.

Not getting enough sleep has also led to some $16 billion in annual health-care costs in America last year and $50 billion in lost productivity.
 
This is probably why Sleep is today considered a million dollar industry. Sales of prescription drugs, bedding, mattresses, and other sleep-inducing gadgets are a $10 billion to $12 billion a year business, and the business is growing. As people become more informed, they are finally realizing the importance of sleep, and are hence paying more attention and top dollars to resolve the problem.

Everyone has their 2 cents worth to add to the solution. Relax, Drink less coffee and booze, drink a hot cup of chamomile tea, eat better (but not before your sleep), etc etc.

The most common way of treating sleep deprivation is of course by taking sleeping pills. According to a survey done, some 42 million sleeping pill prescriptions were filled in America in year 2006. This means that people are buying some $2 billion dollars worth of sleeping pill in a year and that’s expected to grow to $3.8 billion in the near future. There are, however, significant side effects to taking the sleeping pills. This includes next-day "hangovers," sleepwalking, amnesia and addiction.

Alternatively, there are plenty of sleep-aids in the market these days, ranging from $100 sound–soothing machines to $20,000 mattresses covered in layers of silk.

Of course the million dollar question would then be, do any of these devices really work ? Well, since the source of the sleeping disorder problem varies from person to person, hence one man’s meat might really be another man’s poison.

Some of the more common ways to get you to sleep better include:-
• avoid caffeine, alcohol or nicotine in the evening
• avoid excess fluids before bedtime
• avoid heavy meals before bedtime
• avoid napping during the day
• avoid reading or watching TV in bed
• control light and noise in the bedroom
• maintain a regular sleeping and waking schedule
• keep the bedroom temperature constant.

While I sincerely doubt that the new sex in going to replace the old one any time soon, I definitely agree that I could use with more sleep in my life as well !! After all, peace of mind is priceless.

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