5 Steps to a Good Night's Sleep

5 Steps to Good Sleep

We'll keep this short because we know you're exhausted. According to a recent poll by the National Sleep Foundation, 60 percent of women say they get a good night's sleep just a few days a week or less, and nearly half admit they're so beat that it interferes with daily activities. "We live in a 24-7 society with a huge amount of pressure and commitments," says Helene A. Emsellem, MD, medical director of the Center for Sleep & Wake Disorders in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and author of Snooze...Or Lose! "It's very easy to sacrifice sleep time for other things we think are more important."

Then there are all those nights we can't nod off, no matter how hard we try. Research shows that women's sleep tends to be disrupted during menstruation, pregnancy, and perimenopause. Women are also more likely than men to suffer from insomnia (about 7 out of 10 women reported having it in a recent poll). Given all this, it's no wonder that the amount of money we spend on sleeping pills has more than doubled since 2002, according to IMS Health, a healthcare information company. And it helps explain why more than a third of women chug at least three caffeinated beverages daily.

If you don't want your best rest to happen during an important meeting at work or at your desk at 3 p.m., here's how to take back your night.