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Sleep is a vital function that keeps our bodies healthy, moods stable, and mind sharp. So how can you leverage a good night's sleep for maximum benefits? Here are a few strategies.

Make your bedroom more sleep-friendly: Make sure you're sleeping in a cool, dark, quiet place. Avoid artificial light from electronic devices, which can disrupt your sleep-wake cycle.

Be consistent with your sleep schedule: Going to bed at the same time each night is an easy way to balance out your sleep schedule and establish a routine that your circadian rhythm can match. Sleeping in and staying up late is tempting on the weekends, but the more regularly you go to bed at the same time, the more likely you'll keep insomnia at bay.

Avoid stimulants and depressants: Substances like nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol can disrupt sleep. If you're experiencing insomnia, think twice before you have that 4pm cup of coffee.

Get regular exercise: Exercising at least 5-6 hours before bed can help you fall and stay asleep more easily.

Avoid daytime naps: Save the sleep for bedtime.

Eat meals on a regular schedule: Late-night dinners can keep you awake at night. Sleep doctors recommend you eat dinner at similar times, well before bed, each day.

Practice stress management: Meditate, do yoga, read a book, or listen to soothing music. Follow a routine that helps you relax before bed.

Keep a sleep diary: The habits that are disrupting your sleep aren't always easy to notice. A sleep diary is a valuable tool for monitoring your sleep habits, documenting your sleep problems, and identifying patterns that may affect your sleep.

For more ideas on how to build healthy sleep habits, speak with one of the real, quality doctors on Sesame. Sesame can connect you directly with top-rated sleep specialists near you at affordable cash pay prices.

Sleep disorders are as diverse in their effects as they are in their causes. Some of the most common sleep disorders that doctors treat include:

Insomnia: Insomnia is characterized by difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night.

Sleep apnea: Sleep apnea includes abnormal patterns in breathing while you are asleep. There are several types of sleep apnea.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS): Restless leg syndrome, also known as Willis-Ekbom disease, is a type of sleep movement disorder in which patients feel an urge to move their legs while trying to fall asleep. This can lead to discomfort.

Periodic limb movement (PLM): Periodic limb movement is characterized by repetitive jerking or cramping in the legs while sleeping. PLM is the only movement disorder that occurs only during sleep. While it is often linked with RLS, they are not the same thing.

Narcolepsy: Characterized by extreme sleepiness during the day and falling asleep suddenly during the day.

Sleepwalking (somnambulism): Involves getting up and walking around while in a state of sleep.

Insomnia is a sleep disorder that can make it hard to fall or stay asleep, or may cause you to wake up too early and not be able to get back to sleep.

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in the United States. Roughly half of all people experience acute bouts of insomnia, and approximately 10% of Americans chronically suffer from the condition.

Most cases of insomnia are the result of poor sleep habits, depression, anxiety, lack of exercise, chronic illness, or certain medications.

While difficulty falling asleep is the most recognizable symptom of insomnia, the condition presents a range of other side effects, including:

• Trouble falling asleep
  
• Waking up during the night
  
• Waking up too early
  
• Not feeling well-rested after a night's sleep
  
• Daytime sleepiness
  
• Struggling to concentrate on tasks
  
• Difficulty remembering
  
• An increase in errors and accidents
  
• Worrying about sleep
  
• Irritability, anxiety, or depression
  

Insomnia affects much more than your mood and your focus. Studies have shown it may contribute to greater problems such as high blood pressure, increased risk of stroke, heart disease, and more.

If you're suffering from a lack of sleep, let us help! Sesame makes it easier than ever to get in touch with sleep specialists near you. You can usually book a visit as early as the next day, all at prices up to 60% less than what you'll find through insurance networks. Why wait?

Insomnia can be both be a condition in and of itself, known as primary insomnia, or a side effect of another underlying condition, like stress, depression, or anxiety. Insomnia can also be brought on by stress or major life events - like marriages, new jobs, or financial difficulties. Often times treating the underlying cause can resolve insomnia, though in some cases it can last for years.

Some of the most common causes include:

Stress: We've all got it! Worrying about work, school, health, finances, or other stressors can keeps your mind active at night, making it difficult to fall asleep.

Travel or an unusual work schedule: Jet lag from traveling across multiple time zones or fatigue from picking up irregular shifts at work can upset your circadian rhythms and interfere with your sleep quality.

Poor sleep habits or "sleep hygiene:" A poor sleep routine could make it difficult for you to fall and stay asleep. Poor sleep habits include irregular sleep schedules, poorly timed naps, stimulating activities before bed, uncomfortable sleep environments, or too much artificial light from screens and devices.

Eating too much, much too late: Having a little snack before bedtime shouldn't be a problem. If you're having a meal too close to your bedtime, though, it can cause heartburn, bloating, and other discomforts that might keep you awake.

Anyone can have the occasional sleepless night or experience short-term, acute insomnia. However, some people are at a higher risk of that condition becoming chronic. These patients often include:

Women: Hormonal shifts and bodily changes during menstruation, menopause, or pregnancy can all contribute to insomnia.

People over 60: Changes to health and sleep patterns in people around retirement as can lead to insomnia.

People with mental health conditions or physical health problems: There are many mental and physical risk factors that can increase the likelihood of insomnia such as chronic pain, obesity, an overactive or underactive thyroid, medical conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, and more.

Irregular sleepers, night-shift workers, and frequent travelers: Working late hours or irregular shifts can disrupt your circadian rhythm and induce insomnia. People who travel often, whether for work or leisure, are similarly at risk for developing insomnia, as frequent time zone changes can interfere with the body's natural sleep processes.

People who experience a lot of stress: Stressful times may cause temporary insomnia. However, if the stress persists for a long period of time, insomnia could become chronic.

The best way to stop insomnia is to make lifestyle changes that benefit your sleep quality, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Usually, the first type of treatment recommended for chronic insomnia is a type of counseling known as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). CBT-I draws connections between the way we act, feel, think, sleep - applying a holistic approach to sleep to get you the insomnia relief you need.

There are also, several medicines that can help manage your insomnia and fix your sleep patterns. There are plenty of prescription sleeping pills that have been shown to help improve sleep when tested against a placebo. In some cases, healthcare providers may choose to prescribe medicines for related health conditions that are not yet approved by the FDA to treat insomnia. These may include antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants. Many people also see great results with over-the-counter medicines, sleep aids, and supplements like melatonin.

If insomnia is getting you down, it's time to take back control. Save up to 60% when you book a sleep consultation through Sesame today!