We live in an extremely fast-paced world with noise, work and more noise. In a world where we're getting more of everything (money, food, traffic, wars, hurricanes etc) you'll be surprised to know that sleep, the one thing that everyone needs in order to stay healthy is being experienced in ever decreasing durations. More and more people are now sleeping less and less. According to Wikipedia, sleep in the "state of natural bodily rest" Sleep is caused when a chemical called adenosine is released into the body and this inhibits the body processes causing drowsiness. Adenosine is manufactured throughout the day and is at its highest concentration in the evening hours and that is why most people begin to feel "sleepy" at during these late hours.

According to sleep specialists, eight to nine hour of sleep is healthy and necessary in order for us to perform our daily duties at optimum performance. Doctors also record that six to seven hours of sleep is also healthy. Lack of sleep can generate a variety of results:

- Rapid aging

- Decreased immunity

- High propensity to accidents

- Moodiness and being irritable

- Loss of memory

- Lack of focus

- Inattentiveness

Without adequate sleep among employees, businesses report overall loss of productivity. Some companies now have "serenity rooms" which are specially designated sleep areas where employees can "hibernate" for an hour or so even in the midst of the workday. This is by virtue of an arrangement by management of course.

Sleeplessness affects millions of people around the world. This is where people get into their beds but cannot find sleep, or the quality of sleep is so poor that it can be counted as no sleep. This results in one waking up but not fully rested and the body no having fully regenerated. Sleeplessness is a major cause of accelerated aging. Getting quality sleep has become a priority for many people and over-the-counter sleep medications have sprung up by the hundreds. But how can one arrive at quality sleep without medication? This is not impossible:

One way to achieve quality sleep is to make sure you do not nap in the middle of the day. This ensures the body's internal clock or circadian clock is not scrambled. This clock is responsible for sleep timing and that is why many people go to sleep at the same general time every day. Going to bed tired will almost always result in quality sleep.

Another way to ensure quality sleep is to eat moderately. Over-eating can cause digestion problems and deprive the body of sleep as it struggles to digest the food. Eating moderately and drinking lots of fluids can cause quality sleep and is recommended by leading physicians. Drinks which contain caffeine can also result in sleep deprivation.

In order to attain quality sleep, it is also recommended that one be physically fit. Obese or anorexic individuals report lack of quality sleep while people attuned to exercise and body fitness experience deep quality sleep. Quality sleep is also a product of good breathing and obese persons have difficulty breathing especially when lying prostate because of accumulation of fatty tissue around the nasal and wind-pipe areas.