Why can't we sleep?

The key to getting quality rest on a regular basis is figuring out what's causing your insomnia.

Know somebody who likes to brag that he can get by on six hours of sleep a night?

Tell him that men who sleep less than seven hours a night have a 26 percent greater death rate over two decades than men who sleep seven to eight hours a night.

And children who don't get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight and have behavioral problems.

And people who do rotating-shift work have lower levels of the hormone serotonin, low levels of which are associated with anxiety and depression.

These findings, all published in the journal Sleep within the last six months, are part of a rapidly expanding body of knowledge about the physiology of sleep and the importance of adequate sound sleep to good health.

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