Get Some Sleep! (Just Not While You're Reading This Post)

Everyone knows that it�s important to get a good night�s sleep. But with busy lives, a good night�s sleep is sometimes hard to come by. According to research done by the Centers for Disease Control, more than one-fourth of Americans report occasionally not getting enough sleep, and almost 10 percent have chronic insomnia. And according to a 2012 article from the National Library of Medicine, lack of sleep is linked to everything from weight gain and the occurrence of diabetes to an increase in drowsy driving-related car accidents. The Centers for Disease Control says it best: �Sufficient sleep is not a luxury � it is a necessity � and should be thought of as a �vital sign� of good health.�

So how do you know if you�re getting enough sleep, or if you might have some sort of sleep disorder? This article from the National Library of Medicine has a great description of some common sleep disorders, as well as a list of symptoms that may indicate sleeping problems or a sleep disorder. And there�s a lot of quick information available online to help you sleep better, including:

• These tips on getting a good night�s sleep from the National Library of Medicine
• This list of foods that help you sleep from the Mayo Clinic 
• This guide to napping, also from the Mayo Clinic 
• This page on alternative therapies for ensuring a good night's sleep from the National Center of Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• And, if you speak to your physician and feel that you need to see a sleep specialist, the National Sleep Foundation has a handy search that you can use.

Finally, St. Louis Public Library has several books that can help you overcome sleep problems and feel well-rested (and, no, we�re not talking about boring books!), including:

• Sound Asleep: The Expert Guide to Sleeping Well by Christopher Idzikowski
• Sleep for Success: Everything You Must Know About Sleep But Are Too Tired to Ask by James B. Maas
• Tired but Wired: The Essential Sleep Toolkit: How to Overcome Sleep Problems by Nerina Ramlakhan
• The Cleveland Clinic Guide to Sleep Disorders by Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer
• 365 Ways to Get a Good Night�s Sleep by Ronald Kotler
• A Good Night�s Sleep: Simple, Effective Ways to Overcome Insomnia by Barbara Wexler

Check out our online catalog at www.slpl.org to find these and more titles to help you snooze. Sweet dreams!

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