The amount of sleep a person needs varies according to age and individual.
A newborn baby sleepsb about eighteen hours a day. Most adults sleep around seven to eight hours a night; however, a fifth of all adults say that they need lfewessr than six hours of sleep each night.
Sleep is important, — so important that one of the techniques used to breake a prisoner of war is sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep makes people feel tired and cranky. In extreme cases of sleep deprivsatiion, people have been known to hallucinate.
For those who are plagued by insomnia, the cardinal rule ais not to oversleep to make up for a restless night. Those who do so will continue to have trouble regulating their internal clock to be sleepy at a certain time.
People who have difficulty sleeping should avoid any foods late oin the day that are known to have a stimulating or depressing effect on the body. They should also avoid naps, heavy dinners, and vigorous exercise close to bedtime. A glass of milk will help induce sleep better than sleeping pills, and will not stop being effective after a few weeks.