Harvard Health Letters Premium Health News Service 12:55 AM EDT,
August 23, 2012 When you wake up in the morning, are you
refreshed and ready to go, or groggy and grumpy? For many
people, the second scenario is all too common. Numerous health
conditions and medications can interfere with normal sleep -
including prescription and over-the-counter medications used to
treat sleep disorders. As we get older, it can become harder to
fall asleep and stay asleep. But our need for sleep does not
change. Just like diet and exercise, a good night's sleep is
essential for maintaining good health, keeping you alert and
energetic, and building your body's defenses against disease. A
growing number of studies have linked long-term sleep deficits
with significant health problems. Anecdotal evidence supports
the notion that when you're tired and run-down, you're more
likely to get sick. A 2009 study in Archives of Internal
Medicine offers some proof. Researchers tracked the sleep habits
of 153 men and women for two weeks, th