Blame it on the light bulb! Until it became a household item we take for granted, Americans slept about nine hours a night. Since then the average has dropped to less than 7 hours. In addition to giving your body an opportunity for rest and recovery (notice how tired you are when you don't feel well) scientists believe that sleep is the time when the brain sorts and stores information, replaces chemicals and solves problems.

Skipping a night of sleep can make a person cranky and clumsy. After two nights of interrupted sleep, you'll hear people complain they don't do their tasks as well as usual. After five nights without sleep, a person will hallucinate. In short, the brain no longer has the ability to give its instructions to the body.

Your sleep will get interrupted from time to time, especially if you travel between time zones. However, there are a few things you can do (and not do) to help you sleep better including:

• 1. Avoid eating a late dinner. A full stomach for most people also means a level of discomfort that keeps them awake.
• 2. Exercise. A 20 minute workout (but not before bedtime) will boost your metabolism and help relieve sleep robbing stress.
• 3. Dress (or undress!) for sleep then spend a few minutes doing something that helps you unwind.
• 4. Do your best to go to sleep and wake up at the same time every night. Sleep disorder specialists report that even when you want to "sleep in" it's better for you to get up at you usual hour and take a nap later in the day.