RESEARCH

In this section I will highlight the most important information that I copied and pasted from this page. 

Why are people not getting a good quality of sleeping? 

Sleep quality is important for a number of reasons. Just like breathing, eating, and drinking, sleep is an essential human need. Quality sleep supports mental and physical health and contributes to the overall quality of life.

Alcohol
- A single glass of wine may not interfere with your ability to drift off, but indulge  in much more alcohol before bedtime and you’ll probably find that your sleep is impaired. 

Poor habits
- Your sleep habits can also play a part in poor sleep. Some of the bad habits that can make it harder to fall and stay asleep include:

• Staying up too late
• Watching television in bed
• Playing on your phone in bed
• Having an irregular sleep schedule

Sharing Your Bed 
Sharing your bed with a partner, whether human or four-legged, greatly reduces the quality of your sleep if your partner snores, crowds you, hogs the covers, or otherwise makes you uncomfortable.

Poor Sleep Environment 

Most sleep experts recommend keeping your bedroom at a moderate 65 to 72 degrees at night.

Caffeine

You know a bedtime cup of coffee is a bad idea, but did you know that the half-life of caffeine is three to five hours.

The Wrong Snack 

Is your typical bedtime snack a slice (or two) of pizza or a bag of chips? If so, don’t be surprised when you’re lying awake staring at your ceiling.

Exercises

A casual around-the-block stroll with your dog before his bedtime is fine, but a heart-pumping, sweat-dripping cardio workout within three hours of your own bedtime is too much. 

Stress
Probably the most common non-medical reason for short-term insomnia is a mind filled with worries or stress.

Natural solutions: 

• Mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation consists of slow, steady breathing while sitting quietly. You observe your breath, body, thoughts, feelings, and sensations as they rise and pass. Mindfulness meditation has numerous health benefits that go hand-in-hand with a healthy lifestyle promoting good sleep. It’s said to reduce stress, improve concentration, and boost immunity.

• Lavander 

The lavender plant can be found on almost all continents. It produces purple flowers that, when dried, have a variety of household uses. Moreover, lavender’s soothing fragrance is believed to enhance sleep. In fact, several studies show that simply smelling lavender oil shortly before sleep may be enough to improve sleep quality.

• Passion Flower 

Passionflower, also known as Passiflora incarnata or maypop, is a popular herbal remedy for insomnia. The species of passionflower linked to sleep improvements are native to North America. They’re also currently cultivated in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Passionflower’s sleep-promoting effects have been demonstrated in animal studies. However, its effects in humans appear to depend on the form consumed. One study in humans compared the effects of a passionflower tea with those of a placebo tea made from parsley leaves. Participants drank each tea about 1 hour before bed for a period of 1 week, taking a 1-week break between the two teas. Each tea bag was allowed to steep for 10 minutes, and researchers took objective measurements of sleep quality. At the end of the 3-week study, the objective measurements indicated the participants hadn’t experienced improvements in sleep. However, when they were asked to rate their sleep quality subjectively, they rated it around 5% higher following the passionflower tea week compared with the parsley tea week. 

• Change your diet 

Cut out the food and drinks that contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea, soft drinks, and chocolate, by mid-afternoon. Make dinner your lightest meal, and finish it a few hours before bedtime. Skip spicy or heavy foods, which can keep you awake with heartburn or indigestion.

• Develop a sleep routine

It might seem tempting, but sleeping until noon on Saturday will only disrupt your biological clock and cause more sleep problems. Going to bed at the same time every night even on weekends, holidays, and other days off helps to establish your internal sleep/wake clock and reduces the amount of tossing and turning required to fall asleep.

• Don't smoke 

A study Trusted Source found that smokers are four times more likely to not feel as well rested after a full night’s sleep than nonsmokers. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine attribute this to the stimulative effect of nicotine and the nighttime withdrawal from it. Smoking also exacerbates sleep apnea and other breathing disorders such as asthma, which can make it difficult to get restful sleep.

• Use your bed for sleeping only

Your bed should be associated with sleeping, not working, eating, or watching TV. If you wake up during the night, skip turning on your laptop or TV and do something soothing like meditating or reading until you feel sleepy again.

Sleep is a vital, often neglected, component of every person's overall health and well-being. Sleep is important because it enables the body to repair and be fit and ready for another day. Getting adequate rest may also help prevent excess weight gain, heart disease, and increased illness duration.

Trusted SourceTrusted SourceParticipants drank each tea about 1 hour before bed for a period of 1 week, taking a 1-week break between the two teas. Each tea bag was allowed to steep for 10 minutes, and researchers took objective measurements of sleep quality.