Are you getting a good nights sleep?

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You find yourself yawning and think, "I'm so tired. I need a good night's sleep." Nighttime comes, and you lie awake, tossing and turning, watching the clock, waiting for dawn to release you from this torture. Sound familiar? The need for sleep is universal, and difficulty falling asleep -- or staying asleep -- affects almost everyone occasionally. But for millions, some 15 to 25 percent of the population, sleep disorders are persistent. And they can be dangerous. We often think of sleep difficulty as the inability to sleep, but there are actually some 80 sleep-related disorders, ranging from too little to too much sleep. Lack of sleep, or insomnia, is the most prevalent, robbing upwards of 38 million Americans of quality sleep. Older adults frequently complain of sleeping poorly. Seniors -- unlike most children who seem to drop off to sleep instantly -- often have a hard time falling asleep or they sleep soundly for awhile and then experience wakefulness several times during the night. Sleep experts recommend a number of things that seniors can do to improve sleep quality, including the following: Cut out caffeine, and reduce or eliminate the use of alcohol. Avoid depending on narcotics or other sleeping aids which ultimately may lessen sleep quality. If you take naps, be sure to do so in the afternoon and not within two or three hours of going to bed. Establish a regular exercise program, even simple walking. Exercise before 6 p.m. because evening exercising can stimulate the body and make sleeping more difficult. Check with your physician to see if you can cut back on some of the medicines you take, or take them at different times of the day. Medicines taken for such conditions as asthma are known to increase wakefulness. If you tend to lie awake planning, worrying, or reviewing the day's events, try to create a calm period during the evening, or at least a couple of hours before bedtime. Set a regular time to go to bed and awaken in the morning. One or more of these changes may improve the quality of your sleep. However, persistent insomnia needs to be discussed with your physician, who may prescribe a medication to help with sleep. Do you have any more tips to get a good nights sleep? Yahoo!