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You know the feeling: It's time to get some shut-eye. You toss and turn...fluff up that pillow...count sheep...but you still can't drift off to sleep.

It happens to all of us now and again. But if this scenario describes what happens to you every night, then your health might be at risk.

Sleep provides a very necessary, restorative function for the body. We're all well aware of the impairment in brain function associated with insufficient sleep. However, there is scientific evidence that chronic sleep deprivation hyaluronic acid na hyaluronate supplements injection have a negative effect on your health.

A study by researchers at Columbia University revealed an association between chronic sleep deprivation and obesity; those who slept less than 7 hours per night were more likely to be obese. The likely reason for this is that a lack of sleep results in lower plasma levels of leptin (a hormone responsible for suppressing appetite and burning fat) and a concomitant increase in ghrelin (an appetite-stimulating hormone) -- favoring the development of obesity.

Chronic sleep deprivation has other multiple effects on endocrine and metabolic function. A study conducted by the University of Chicago Medical Center in 1999 indicates that the condition drastically affects the body's ability to metabolize glucose; this can result in impaired insulin handling, promoting diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and the metabolic syndrome. Short sleep duration can also be a significant risk factor for hypertension. Other effects include memory deficits similar to those observed in aging; depression and mood problems; and a weakening of your immune function. A relationship between chronic sleep loss and osteoporosis is also suggested, per a very recent study published in the Jan 2007 issue of Osteoporosis International.

When battling sleep problems, you don't have to turn to sleep aids. To help you get adequate rest at night, try these suggestions:

Maintain a standard sleep- and wake-time, and stick to it.

Always make it a habit to go to bed and get up at the same time every day -- even on weekends and during vacations. This way, you won't disturb your circadian rhythm -- that schedule of physical and mental changes in our bodies which occur over the course of the day.

Make your bedroom a quiet haven.

If you have trouble purchase dehydroepiandrosterone dhea bulk asleep, don't lie in bed awake; worrying about falling asleep actually keeps many people awake. But fight the urge to work on your laptop, pay bills, or watch TV while in bed -- instead, get up and do your work in another room until you feel sleepy.

Avoid eating a high-protein meal two hours before bedtime.

A heavy, high-protein meal too close to bedtime can be difficult to digest, which can keep you up. Likewise, drinking lots of fluids at bedtime can disrupt your sleep if you have to get up to urinate.

Eat foods high in tryptophan.

Studies have suggested that tryptophan is effective in promoting sleep, in cases of chronic insomnia. Foods high in tryptophan -- such as figs, nuts, turkey, hummus, and whole grains -- can help promote sleep naturally, as do foods high in carbohydrates.

Don't forget to exercise -- but not too close to bedtime.

Regular exercise -- thirty minutes of moderate-intensity exercise on most, if not all, days of the week -- can improve your sleeping habits as well as other areas of your health. However, avoid exercising within five hours of bedtime, since the post-exercise increase in your metabolism can actually keep you awake.

Try yoga.

A 2005 study by the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation demonstrated a significant decrease in the time to fall asleep, an increase in the total number of hours slept, and in the feeling of being rejuvenated the next morning, after practicing yoga for six months.

Other common-sense suggestions include avoiding coffee or other caffeine-containing foods and beverages close to bedtime.

If you have sleep problems and you snore, see a doctor. Snoring, in and of itself, is not a health risk. But if you have sleep apnea -- a condition that causes you to stop breathing for a few seconds -- your health may be at serious risk. Sleep apnea has been linked to a higher risk of stroke, an increase in the inflammatory mediators associated with heart disease and diabetes, and an increase in death from any cause.

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Dr. Patricia David, MD, MSPH is a board-certified Preventive Medicine physician, Certified Personal Trainer, and Certified Fitness and Nutrition Coach. She is founder of the Healthy U's buy bulk niacin niacinamide USP powder Healing & Wellness Center, where you can get customized exercise prescriptions and nutrition programs that boost your metabolism, reduce your health risks, and help you achieve a lean, healthy body weight. To learn more about how we can help you succeed with your health goals and change the future of your health, visit http://www.lifewellnessprogram.com or call 888-253-3830.