It is often said that only children have sleep problems but nothing could be further from the truth.
The sad fact is that many more adults suffer from sleep disorders and may not even be aware of it.
Problems such as insomnia, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and restless leg syndrome are just some of the sleep disorders that affect a large proportion of the adult population.
Although the reasons for sleep are not totally understood, it is an important part of our physical and emotional well being.
For people who do not get enough sleep, reported problems include trouble performing tasks that involve memory, learning, logical reasoning and math calculations.
In certain cases, severe insomnia can even result in psychiatric problems.
Lack of sleep can also be dangerous, put a strain on relationships and cause lapses of concentration at work.
Figures from the National Transportation Safety Board in the US about sleep include -

• An estimated cost to business of $15.
  0 billion dollars due to sleepiness and lost productivity.
  
• At least 100,000 police reported accidents in the United States involve drowsy drivers.
  
• It is estimated that forty million Americans suffer some type of sleep disorder, the majority of which go undiagnosed.
  

The amount of sleep required by the average healthy adult is seven to eight hours although this does vary from person to person.
Personally, I seem to survive pretty well on around five hours a night.
Indications that you may not be getting enough sleep include -

• Problems staying alert during monotonous activities
• Tendency to be unreasonable and irritable with family, friends, or co-workers
• Trouble concentrating or remembering facts

There are around one hundred known sleep disorders that can interfere with our health and quality of life ranging from irregular sleep patterns to snoring and sleep apnea.
Even your bed mattress can be the cause of some sleep problems as can the pillow that you rest your weary head on.
If you wake up every day feeling like you have aged twenty years overnight or have difficulty pulling yourself out of bed in the morning, even though you have slept for eight hours, the chances are that you may be suffering from a sleep disorder that you are not even aware of.
Do yourself a big favour and get it checked out.
Ask your bed partner if you do anything strange or out of the ordinary when sleeping and don't get upset when they tell you a few home truths.
After all, if you are not aware that you have a sleep problem, how on earth are you going to cure it!