You may be asking yourself this question. We all have a difficult time getting enough sleep from time to time. There are a number of reasons why we can’t sleep some of the time. Stress is one of the main reasons a person loses sleep.

We all need a sufficient amount of sleep to get through the day. When we don’t get enough sleep, we walk around sleep deprived, and the symptoms of sleep deprivation are many and vary from person to person. Some people experience physical symptoms when sleep deprived such as headaches and body aches. Others experience a lack of ability to concentrate and foggy thinking.

Most people need at least 7 hours of sleep every night in order to perform at their maximum capacity. There have been those who have claimed they could get by on just a few hours of sleep each night, but they usually pay a price. You can tell when someone has lost sleep because it usually shows on his or her face. Just getting a few extra hours of sleep over the course of a few days can make you look younger and feel younger.

If you have felt irritable, foggy headed, or tired and listless recently, try getting more sleep. If you have trouble sleeping at night, try finding something that will turn your brain off. Oftentimes people find they can’t sleep because they can’t stop thinking about what’s going on in their lives. This often occurs when a person is feeling high levels of stress during the day. When you have a stress day, a really good day, a busy day, even a great and exciting day, these can contribute to insomnia – not being able to sleep.

During times of insomnia, it is often helpful to try turn your brain off the thinking cycle. Try doing sudoku puzzles before turning the light out. You’ll find that doing a puzzle of some sort, whether it is a sudoku puzzle or a word puzzle, his often gets your mind off the stress and problems in your life and has a calming effect.

Another helpful thing to try is to practice relaxation exercises. You might find that before you get through the exercise, you’ve fallen asleep.

Meditating for a few minutes is a good way to calm the mind and get ready to relax and go to sleep.

One of the worst zappers of getting the sleep we need is our busy schedules. If you find you’re not getting enough sleep, sit down and figure out what you can cut out of the day in order to get more sleep. Often just a two-hour nap will help you feel refreshed and ready to tackle the day.