by Laurie Boris

Created on: May 04, 2009   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

If you're like most Americans, you probably didn't sleep that well last night. Maybe you stayed up too late and had a hard time rousing yourself out of bed. Or you had trouble falling asleep and you've been dragging around all day. If you hit your snooze button so many times it wants to don protective gear, you could have a bigger problem than simply feeling out of it during the day. Sleep deprivation - regularly getting less then the approximately 7-8 hours of sleep the human body needs - can lead to an increase in your body's level of cortisol, a stress hormone. Studies have shown that unrelenting stress can increase levels of inflammation in the body. This can compromise your immune system and make you more vulnerable to illness and disease (like hypertension, diabetes or stroke), or even premature death. And when a sleep deprived person gets behind the wheel of a car, he or she may become a weapon. But you don't have to become a statistic. Just be aware of the five most common ways you can ruin your sleep.

1. Attack of the Killer Cappuccino! If you need a good jolt of coffee to keep you going until quitting time, you probably got less-than-optimal sleep the night before because of yesterday afternoon's java. It can take six to eight hours to fully metabolize caffeine out of your system. You don't necessarily have to cut out coffee completely - just avoid it in the afternoon and see if you don't sleep better for it.

2. Your BlackBerry - Busted! Yes, our electronic toys make it easy for us to stay connected with the outside world. Maybe a little too connected. Your brain needs some down time away from the stimulation of all those devices so your body gets the signal that it's time to sleep. Turn off that cell phone. Put that BlackBerry to bed. And for sleep's sake, stop Twittering. Your friends and colleagues will still be there in the morning - and you'll be well rested and ready to greet them.

3. Revenge Of the Late Late Show! If you get wired watching a scary movie, a fast-paced thriller or even a nail biter of a playoff game, you could have a hard time winding down. Turn the set off an hour or two before you want to turn in, and pursue a quieter activity, like relaxing in a hot bath, reading (not the latest page turner) or meditation.

4. Check Your Emotions at the Door. Bedtime is not the time to have that difficult discussion with your significant other about finances, parenting, or anything else that can get your hackles up. It's also not the time to finish that argument with your sister on the phone. Get it out of your system earlier in the day and you'll sleep better at night.

5. Don't Dine After Nine. You wait until the kids are in bed to make your own dinner. Or, you catch a late meal after the movie. And, how about that, you're staring at the ceiling when you should be fast a-snooze. That's because your body is so consumed with digesting that you can't get the rest you need. Plus, people who go to bed on a full stomach stand a greater chance of developing acid reflux problems. Here's an idea - eat with the kids. Or, have dinner before the movie.

You can sleep better, starting tonight: just beware of the ways you might be sabotaging your own shut-eye. Sweet dreams!

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