Good health and happiness are impossible when we are robbed of sleep for very long. For many people, this is all too often a way of life. One of mankind's oldest complaints, insomnia is the chronic inability to fall asleep or to stay asleep. While everyone occasionally experiences a sleepless night now and then without harm, long-term insomnia can be debilitating. After yet another night of inadequate sleep, insomnia sufferers typically report impaired mental and physical abilities, diminished memory, reduced alertness, and slow reaction times.(1) Chronic lack of sleep threatens the well-being, productivity, and safety of millions of Americans.

Insomnia is not a disease unto itself but a condition associated with a number of different physical and emotional disorders. The incidence of insomnia is higher among people with chronic illnesses such as hyperthyroidism, kidney trouble, multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer's disease. Pregnancy, alcohol intake, stress, and depression are also leading causes of insomnia.

Sleep is one of the most mysterious of all human activities. Exactly what happens during sleep is still not completely understood. By studying brain wave patterns, sleep researchers have identified four separate stages in a normal period of sleep. Stage 1 begins when we first fall asleep. Stage 1 is light sleep. Muscles relax and the heart slows down in stage 1. During stage 2,the heart rate increases. Stage 2 sleep is called REM sleep because of the rapid eye movements that occur during this stage. The autonomic nervous system is active in REM sleep, causing rapid breathing and increased stomach acid secretion. Stage 2 is the period when we dream. During deep sleep (stages 3 and 4), no dreaming occurs. In a normal sleep period, a person cycles from stage 1 to stage 4 in about 90 minutes.(2) Waking after one full sleep cycle is complete is common among the elderly and small children.