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.

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.

Researchers do not know exactly why humans need sleep, but they do know that it is an essential part of life. Missing even a few hours of sleep can affect your emotional well being. Studies in rats have shown that sleep deprivation can actually kill.

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.

Sleeping in the afternoon has long been the calling card of teenagers and children, and is often avoided by adults who have busy lives. The image of a person who sleeps for a short time during the middle of the day is often associated with old-fashioned ‘layabouts,’ people without anything better to do. But science is starting to prove the sleepers right.