Get a great night’s sleep – starting tonight

You know a good night’s sleep is just as important as a healthy diet and regular exercise, right? No? Have you given up your Champaign dreams for candlelight tweeting? Cuddling with your iPhone instead of relaxing with a good book (Facebook doesn’t count)?

According to a study sponsored by the Better Sleep Council in 2008, 7 out of 10 of us get less than 7.5 hours of sleep each night (the magic number experts say our bodies need). To make matters worse, more than 80% of Americans woke up with back, neck and shoulder pain in the past year (46% report it’s a frequent occurrence).

“Sleep deprivation impacts us physically, which can negatively affect our coordination, agility, mood and energy,” says Dr. Bert Jacobson, professor and head of the School of Educational Studies at Oklahoma State University (OSU) and the lead author of the new study Grouped Comparisons of Sleep Quality for New and Personal Bedding Systems.

We’re passionate about sleep and to celebrate Better Sleep Month, we’ll feature ways to help you achieve the sleep you need. We’ll also be sharing some interesting studies about sleep interruptions, deprivation and the terrible toll some of us are paying as we stumble through our days.

Are you interested in learning more about healthy sleep? Leave your comments below and we’ll be happy to answer your questions in future posts.

Because we know at the end of the day, it’s night and a healthy sleep is yours for the taking.