Some people are just not morning people. Whether it be because you like your sleep or because you do not get to bed until later, there are understandable excuses to why you hit that snooze button more than once.

Most people get around seven or eight hours of sleep each night. There are two different sleeping phases that people go between each night. The first is REM (rapid eye movement) and it is characterized by the eyes moving back and forth rapidly. The brain is extremely active in this phase and dreams occur frequently. In the non REM phase (NREM), there is no eye movement and very little brain activity.

A proper night’s sleep can do wonders for our health. Waking up after a restful night can make all the difference in the world-you will feel refreshed, healthy, and ready to start a new day. For some people getting a good night’s sleep is not as easy as it sounds.

Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally produced by the body in the pineal gland. This gland is approximately pea size and it is located in the brain. Melatonin is produced when our eyes start to sense darkness and regulates our sleep-wake cycle.

Millions of people continue to struggle with insomnia and many are turning to sleeping pills first, without trying other alternative options. The problem with sleeping pills is that they have many side effects including addiction, irritability, depression, and headaches.

You get up early, get dressed, eat breakfast, and start your day. You work, drink coffee, talk with friends, work more, get stressed, eat lunch, make plans and get your mind racing. You finish work, go home, think about work, make dinner, go for a glass of wine, see a show, talk with friends, think about work, get changed, go to bed, stop everything and fall asleep.

Not only does a good night’s sleep keep you looking young and beautiful, a good snooze re-energizes, re-invigorates, and de-stresses.