While we don't know if adequate sleep can increase your lifespan, we know that it can certainly delay the ageing process and prevent certain serious health problems. If a person does not get enough sleep his performance - both in the bedroom and the boardroom - will be lacking. Low creativity, laziness, irritability - all these are associated with a lack of sleep. So find out if you get enough sleep. 
 

How much is enough?

While the amount of sleep required varies from person to person, eight hours of sleep should be adequate. However, some people manage on four and five hours of sleep as well - but on the whole seven to nine hours of sleep is what the majority of young and middle aged men and women require. As we age, we require less sleep. In any case, what's more important than the quantity of sleep is the quality. 
 

Snoring - not funny

Do you snore? While snoring per say is harmless (though annoying to your partner) it does signify poor quality of sleep, resulting in daytime fatigue. However, that's just the good news. Snoring can sometimes be a symptom of a more serious disorder called Obstructive Sleep Apnea, which is characterised by a stoppage of breath due to an obstruction in the air passage. This obstruction could be caused by the nose (e.g. by a deviated septum), throat, palate or tongue. Obstructive sleep Apnea can cause the level of oxygen in our bloodstream to drop to dangerous levels. This results in blood pressure and heart problems. Thus if you feel you or your partner has this disorder, it should be treated immediately. 
 

Jerky leg movements

Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), characterized by slight jerking movements of the legs, often contributes to poor sleep. What causes RLS? Poor blood circulation is thought to be the main culprit. So if your days are spent sitting on a desk at work, and are followed by evenings of television viewing, you're a likely candidate. If you feel a 'creepy' sensation in your leg followed by a strong urge to move it around, or if you feel your leg jerking involuntarily while sitting or watching television, your circulation to that leg has probably dipped. 

You could relieve RLS by:

• Taking a steaming hot or icy cold shower.
• Avoid caffeine products, including tea, coffee, chocolates. 
• Does your blood test show low iron levels? This could be a cause, so increase iron intake. 
• Go for a jog. 

Dreams

How many times have people told us that a dreamless sleep is sound sleep? In actuality there is nothing like a dreamless sleep. We dream every night, but when we wake up in the morning we may or may not remember our dreams. If we've had a bad dream or a nightmare, we would probably wake up with the memory fresh in our heads. Of course, when we've had a bad dream we've probably not slept well because our psychological unease manifests itself in the form of a nightmare. However, every time we remember a dream doesn't mean we've had a bad sleep. Dreams occur during certain sleep cycles, and if we wake up during a dream cycle, we would be likely to remember the dream. On the other hand, if we wake up a while after the dream cycle is over, we no longer remember the dream unless it was disturbing or extremely vivid. Most dreams are of mundane, regular topics, like a day in the office - so we don't remember them.  
 

Tips to sleep well

• Drink a glass of warm milk before turning in for the night. 
• Avoid caffienated drinks. They are known to keep you tossing and turning well into the night.
• Sleep at roughly the same time every night. 
• Wake up at the same time every morning, even if you have a holiday. Try and get your body accustomed to a sleep rhythm. 
• Don't exercise within three hours of your bedtime. Exercise early morning or early evening, at least four hours after lunch.  
• Don't work in the bedroom. Your bedroom should be only used for relaxation and should consequently be associated with feelings of tranquillity and rest.