When I was a kid, I remember learning about Ponce de Leon, a Spanish explorer in the 16th Century, searching for the fountain of youth. Perhaps if he had spent more time sleeping and less time searching, he would have found it. The fountain of youth is sleep!

We are a society that is driven to perfection. We have to do it all. We need to get an "A" in all areas of our lives—being a parent, spouse, worker, friend, child, etc. Focusing on getting an A often means getting fewer Zzzzzs. The demands on our time are starting so young these days too. Look at how busy kids are now with all of their in-school and after-school activities. It's a lot more frenetic than when I was growing up. We are averaging almost two hours less sleep a night today than our grandparents. In fact, 43% of adults say that they are so sleepy during the day that it interferes with their daily activity and 60% of children under the age of 18 say they are tired during the school day (with 15% admitting they fall asleep in class).

Are you and your children getting enough sleep? Sleep is highly underrated. It is not something that is "nice to have"; it is essential for your health. In fact, lack of sleep impacts motor skills such that driving while sleep deprived is comparable to drunk driving! At least 100,000 car accidents in the U.S. each year are caused by sleepy drivers. It also weakens your immune system which puts you at greater risk of disease and infection. And, it increases accident risk, stress, anxiety, and depression. Sleep is a natural antidote to the damage done to our bodies during the course of the day. During sleep, our bodies replenish the immune system, eliminate free radicals, ward off heart disease, and alleviate our mood imbalances.

How do you know if you are sleep deprived? Here are a few signs:

• Do you fall asleep as soon as you get into bed at night?
• Do you have difficulty waking up in the morning?
• Are you moody and irritable?
• Do you fall asleep at work or in class?

Generally, 8 hours of sleep is the norm, though the range people need varies from 6 to 10 hours (personally, I'm on the higher end of this spectrum). If you suffer from a sleep disorder, including insomnia, excessive drowsiness, sleep apnea, and restless movement during sleep, you are not alone—so do over 60 million Americans. There are many factors that can affect your sleep including stress, hormonal changes, excessive caffeine intake, little or no exercise, shift work, medication side effects, and alcohol consumption.

For some tips on getting a good night's sleep that are prescription-free, see Get Sleep in the Body quadrant of the Four Quadrant Living website. With the holidays upon us, the demands on your time will become even greater. Don't sacrifice your sleep time to get it all done. In the long run, it will end up reducing your productivity and compromising your health.

Ponce de Leon never found the fountain, but you can. Just get more Zzzzzs. What steps will you take to get a better night's sleep?

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Dina Colman Mitchell, MBA, MA, NBC-HWC a widely published health coach, is the founder of Four Quadrant Living. Dina credits four quadrant living for helping her go through her own cancer diagnosis and treatment last year with grace, strength, and health. Now cancer-free, Dina continues to devote her time to helping others around the world live healthier, happier lives. Her Amazon Top 100 book, Four Quadrant Living: A Guide to Nourishing Your Mind, Body, Relationships, and Environment, shows readers how to take responsibility for their health and make healthy living a way of life. Contact Dina at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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