A common myth is that people can learn to get by on little sleep (i.e. fewer than six hours a night) with no adverse consequences. Research suggests that adults need at least seven to eight hours of sleep each night to be well rested. Indeed, in 1910 before we inundated with all the bells and whistle of modern “convenience” most people slept nine hours a night. Recent surveys show the average adult now sleeps fewer than seven hours a night, and more than one-third of adults report daytime sleepiness so severe that it interferes with work and social functioning at least a few days each month.
 
We need to sleep and it is a natural state. When darkness falls, your body begins to produce melatonin, a hormone that makes you feel drowsy. The amount of melatonin in your body continues to increase during the night. One of the best things you can do to respect this natural state is to go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Of course the occasional “off” night is to be expected, but doing your best to ensure you have proper sleep rituals can go a long way in ensuring you feel fit and ready for what life throws at you.