Most people are aware of the hazards of drunk driving. But did you know that driving while drowsy
can be just as deadly? Like alcohol, a lack of sleep makes it harder to react quickly enough to a car that stops suddenly, a sharp curve in the road, and other potentially dangerous situations.
Watch for these warning signs that you might be too sleepy to drive safely:

■ trouble keeping your eyes focused
■ continual yawning
■ inability to recall driving the last few miles
If you feel sleepy while driving, pull off the road to a
safe place and take a nap for 15 to 20 minutes.
Tips To Avoid Drowsy Driving:
■ Be well rested before hitting the road.
Keep in mind that if you skimp on sleep for
several nights in a row, it might take more than1 night of good sleep to be well rested and
alert.
■ Avoid driving between midnight and 7 a.m.
This period of time is when we are naturally the
most sleepy.
■ Don’t drive alone. A companion who’s awake
and can keep you engaged in conversation may
help you stay awake.
■ Schedule frequent breaks on long road trips.
■ Don’t drink alcohol!
■ Don’t count on caffeine. Although drinking a
cola or coffee might help keep you awake for a
short time, it won’t overcome excessive
sleepiness. Read The Full Story…

Try not to worry about not getting enough sleep - it may be that you are getting enough, but it’s just less than you expect.
Don’t take naps during the day to catch up, this will affect your natural rhythm and only add to your problem. Remember - that our need for sleep is an individual thing and gets less as we get older. You may be trying to get too much. Try going to bed later or getting up earlier.

Surroundings - Go through this basic check list and see whether there are any simple changes you can make:
- Noise (too noisy, too quiet?)
- Light (too light, too dark?)
- Comfort of mattress (too hard, too soft?)
- Temperature of room (too hot, too cold?)
- Is your partner (or lack of one ) keeping you awake?

Food and Drink - anything that contains caffeine taken near
to bedtime, will reduce the quality of sleep. Examples include
coffee, tea, hot chocolate and cola. It is best not to have any of
these things within four hours of bedtime. If you are having a
bedtime drink try to make sure it is decaffeinated. Read The Full Story…

Sleep Apnea. Apnea means absence of breath. Sleep apnea occurs when the airway from the mouth to the lung collapses during sleep. The person with sleep apnea may have hundreds of these episodes throughout the night, disrupting their sleep and reducing oxygen supply to vital organs. Sleep apnea is a common condition affecting about 5% of adults. Fortunately effective treatment is available and once treated the person with sleep apnea leads a normal healthy life.
The symptoms of sleep apnea. People with sleep apnea usually snore loudly and have restless sleep. Often these symptoms are not noticed by the person with sleep apnea but by the partner. The partner may also notice pauses in breathing and snoring lasting between 10 seconds and a minute. Each pause ends with a very deep gasping or snoring noise and a brief awakening as the person struggles to breathe. As a result of the problems during sleep, the person with sleep apnea is usually very sleepy in the day and may wake in the morning feeling “hungover”. As the day progresses the lack of sleep may take its toll and they struggle to stay awake. In passive situations, such as watching TV, this may not be a problem but it can affect the person’s ability to concentrate and function at work. It can be extremely dangerous if it occurs while driving. Other symptoms which can occur in untreated sleep apnea are impotence, personality changes, depression, irritability, loss of memory and concentration and increased frequency of urination at night. Read The Full Story…

At various points in our lives, all of us suffer from a lack of sleep that can be remedied by making sure we have the opportunity to get enough sleep. But, if you are spending enough time in bed and still wake up tired or feel very sleepy during the day, you may have a sleep disorder.
One of the best ways you can tell if you are getting enough good quality sleep, and whether you have signs of a sleep disorder, is by  keeping a sleep diary.  After a week or so, look over this information to see how many hours of sleep or nighttime awakenings the night before are linked to your being tired the next day. This information will give you a sense of how much uninterrupted
sleep you need to avoid daytime sleepiness. You can also use the diary to see some of the patterns or practices that may keep you from getting a good night’s sleep. Read The Full Story…

- You consistently take more than 30 minutes

each night to fall asleep.

- You consistently awaken several times each

night and then have trouble falling back to sleep,

or you awaken too early in the morning.

- You often feel sleepy during the day, you take

frequent naps, or you fall asleep at inappropriate

times during the day.

- Your bed partner says that when you sleep, you

snore loudly, snort, gasp, make choking sounds,

or stop breathing for short periods.

- You have creeping, tingling, or crawling feelings

in your legs or arms that are relieved by moving

or massaging them, especially in the evening

and when trying to fall asleep.

- Your bed partner notices that your legs or

arms jerk often during sleep.

- You have vivid, dreamlike experiences while

falling asleep or dozing. Read The Full Story…