Many people suffer from sleeping disorder or otherwise being deprived of sufficient sleep. This may be due to several reasons but mainly sacrificing the time for sleep in exchange for more time to do something else - work or play alike. People who realize that are deprived of sleep or have unhealthy sleeping habits may think that the consequences are not important - the 'how bad can it be?' attitude. Some may even think that as long as I sleep a cumulative of 7-8 hours, it will be sufficient. So what they do is they sleep an average of maybe four hours during the afternoons when they can no longer hold back or resist the fatigue, and sleep a short few more hours during midnight. Leaving the rest of the time doing things they feel are more important that sleep.

First of all, sleep is as important as anything else - your job, your chores and your responsibilities. Second, it is wrong to think that sleeping and energy restoration can be cumulative. It just doesn't work that way, sleeping a few hours here and there does not mean you have slept the total hours cumulated. Due to this sleeping disorder and deprivation, some very damageable consequences to other aspects of the person's active life follow:

1. Ability to focus and concentrate (alertness) is weakened.

2. Ability to process information, make decisions and the accuracy of judgment is affected.

3. In the long-run, other complicated health related problems might occur - Mental impairment, psychiatric problems of grumpiness, moodiness and temperament.

4. The likelihood of occupational injury also rises with sleeping disorders.

Types of sleeping disorders:

Insomnia is a type of sleeping disorder where individuals will experience difficulty in falling asleep, waking up frequently in the hours of sleep and have trouble falling back asleep and both could occur at the same time. Symptoms may include daytime problems of insomnia such as lack of concentration or focus, short-term memory, appear to be walking around like a zombie, tired and aimlessly.

The medications that are available to insomniacs are Ambien, Lunesta, Rozerem, Sonata, etc. For those not in favor of taking pills or pharmaceutical products may opt to take up alternatives such as consuming herbal supplements - Valerian root, chamomile, passionflower, ginseng and lemon balm.

Sleep apnea is another form of sleeping disorder. Symptoms may include sore or dry throat and headaches in the morning after waking up, sleepiness or fatigue during the day and some mild difficulty in sleeping (mild insomnia).

For non-serious cases of sleep apnea, you start first by changing your sleeping position. Avoid lying on your side facing the left as this position forces weight on your heart, lie facing your right instead. Also avoid sleeping on your torso as it holds down your lungs ability to contract and expand, causing possible breathing difficulties.

Some suggestions advisable to get better sleep:

1. Caffeine keeps you awake so CUT IT!

2. Avoid alcohol because even though it may help you fall asleep quicker, it disrupts quality sleep.

3. Restrict nicotine as it has similar effects to caffeine.

4. Avoid afternoon naps - this worsens your problem of sleeping at night. Even if you absolutely have to sleep, do so within 15-20 minutes during the afternoon - that is adequate, seriously.