Think back to the last time you had a restful night of sleep that left you refreshed in the morning.  Has this experience happened lately?  For so many, insomnia has become a normal pattern of life versus an abnormal event.  Insomnia is prevalent because of our digital devices, long work hours, and the daily stressors of life that keep our minds running even if our bodies are exhausted.  Drugs such as Ambien make up a large percentage of prescriptions filled by pharmacists but leave patients with unwanted side effects or do not work for their insomnia at all.  So, what is a good night’s sleep and how can we feel the comfort of waking refreshed and ready to start the day? Feeling refreshed with energy is a hallmark of restorative sleep.   Most people need seven to nine hours of sleep but that amount varies from person to person.  In general, skimping on sleep does more than just make you groggy. It is linked to an increase in cardiovascular disease, increased inflammation, and decreased resistance to stress on emotional levels.  The tantrums you see children have when they are sleepy are no different from the irritability or emotional outbursts some adults may experience.  In addition, sleep is a time when the body can repair damaged tissue.  When this occurs, the risk of high blood pressure and inefficient metabolism of glucose can aggravate other health conditions.  The link between sleep apnea and high blood pressure is clear but obesity is also linked to sleep deprivation.  Some people attempt to catch up on the weekends, but this doesn’t repair the damage of inflammation that may have already occurred during the times of chronic insomnia.  In general, to get the sleep you need, good sleep hygiene such as going to bed at the same time, avoid drinking water an hour before bed time, exercising earlier in the day, staying clear of alcoholic beverages in the evening which cause you to wake in the middle of the night, and avoid napping which disrupts your sleep cycle all helps improve the quality of your sleep.  Things to calm the nervous system such as chamomile tea, valerian, passionflower, and melatonin are all good tools to get settled before bedtime.  Over all, the most important thing is to prioritize sleep in your daily life and create good habits around bedtime.