A Good Night....

Research by the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute has revealed that between 7-19 per cent of adults in the US do not get enough sleep. Illnesses caused by lack of sleep include obesity, diabetes and heart disease, while up to 1.2 million work days are lost every year, costing the economy about 2% of GDP. In the UK, the economic loss from lack of sleep hits a similar figure. In addition, experts reckon that lack of sleep is behind numerous driving accidents and heinous mistakes at work. Left unchecked, a chronically sleepy subject is prone to a number of mental disorders, including depression. If you think that you need to catch up on sleep, the only remedy is to – that’s right. The key to a healthy mind is not, it seems, sitting on top of an Asian mountain, drinking yak’s milk as bells ring and monks chant mantras. Nope; you simply (a) switch off light, (b) put head on pillow and (c) close eyes, all as a prelude to eight hours in the land of nod - and not just occasionally, but every night. If you have trouble getting enough sleep, follow my getting to sleep guide, just published on Hub Pages. Sweet dreams.