by Cory Davison

Created on: May 01, 2009   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Sleep, it is the time of the day in which our body recuperates and regenerates itself. It is the single most important activity that we engage in as living beings. Sufficient sleep is essential for hormone regulation and also plays a large role in brain function. While your sleeping, the cells in your body go into a growing frenzy. This is due in part to the significant release of growth hormone that occurs while asleep. This causes the cells in your body to rapidly grow and repair themselves. This is what makes sleep so effective at mending injuries and clearing away infections.

It is recommended that you get at least eight hours of sleep a night. If you reach this eight hour goal, you will notice many things. First and foremost, you'll notice a drastically increased ability to think. You will find it much easier to concentrate, and you will notice increased amounts of energy. Happiness is also commonly associated with sufficient sleep. This is because of the increased levels of hormones that are generated in this time period.

So what's keeping you from getting a better night's sleep? Well, considering that less than 60% of the North American population get enough sleep, there are many things. Don't let yourself be part of that 40%! Here are the top five reasons that people don't get enough sleep, as well as ways to counter them.

NOT ENOUGH TIME
There is no possible way that you don't have enough time to get eight hours of sleep. If you feel that you are unable to go to bed because you are required to do household chores or you have to watch the kids, think again! It can be very easy to change your schedule to accommodate time for your chores and your family. You may have to consider a babysitter if the situation is dire. You may also want to try creating a schedule for household tasks between you and your spouse, so that you are both able to manage eight hours of sleep. Try talking with your children about the benefits and importance of sufficient sleep, both for you and them.

NOT TIRED ENOUGH
This can be caused by a large number of reasons. One of the biggest destroyers of sleep is technology. Now that the world has become so reliant on technology, we find ourselves constantly surrounded by it. The lights on a television or computer monitor may fool your brain into thinking that it's daytime. Try staying away from artificial light for at least thirty minutes before you go to bed.

STRESS
If you are consistently finding yourself unable to sleep because of stress at

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