Have you got counting sheep down to a science, or are you just so busy that eight hours of sleep seems like a luxury you can't afford?

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You're not alone. For whatever reason (the culprit often being an increasingly hectic lifestyle), more people are sleeping less than six hours a night, and sleep difficulties visit 75% of us at least a few nights per week, according to a recent survey.

A short-lived bout of insomnia is generally nothing to worry about. The bigger concern is chronic sleep loss, which can contribute to health problems such as weight gain, high blood pressure, and a decrease in the immune system's power, reports the Harvard Women's Health Watch.

While more research is needed to explore the links between chronic sleep loss and health, it's safe to say that sleep is too important to shortchange. The Harvard Women's Health Watch suggests six reasons to get enough sleep:

1. Learning and memory
   Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who'd slept after learning a task did better on tests later.
2. Metabolism and weight
   Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates, and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
3. Safety
   Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
4. Mood
   Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate, and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
5. Cardiovascular health
   Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels, and irregular heartbeat.
6. Disease
   Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body's killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

So now that you know what you're really missing when you're missing sleep, be sure to make getting a full night's rest a priority, no matter how busy your life is.

What's your most reliable cure for insomnia? Tell us about it — we'd love to hear from you!

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