What is known about sleep is that humans sleep about 1/3 of their lives (National Sleep Foundation [NSF]). Sleep is considered a wonderful function for the human body, the ability to shut down the mind and “reboot” each time, feeling refreshed the next day. Of course, it is well known that sleep is very beneficial. Unfortunately, many people don't get as much sleep as they should. The average adult must have at least 7-8 hours of sleep, but the average hours of sleep is 6.5 (Geyer, Talachi and Carney). On this planet called Earth, humans have evolved to the point where artificial light has been created and where work is never done. There are times when the night shift, sometimes called the graveyard shift, is necessary. Humans are not meant to be nocturnal, but many people seem to enjoy nightlife. Without sleep, there are very serious consequences. “Sleep debt,” or hours lost by a person, must be repaid (quote). There are short-term and long-term problems when you don't sleep. There are ways to solve this problem. Sometimes many people have nights where they can't sleep, so they take certain foods or eat special foods to help them sleep. Care must be taken with these choices, sleep prescriptions are not that beneficial as they do more harm than good. There's more to sleeping than just closing your eyes. Sleep is the natural state of fractional consciousness in which a person can be awakened by stimulation (NSF). The brain releases naturally produced melatonin which helps the person fall asleep. What is important in sleep is the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm, also known as the “biological clock,” gives people a 24-hour sleep/wake pattern throughout the day. Surprisingly enough, when daylight saving time... middle of the paper... helps you sleep well" and this is because it "mimics what happens inside the body when the body's internal temperature drops during the night to its highest level low” (NSF). Temperature can also be tricky, it all depends on the person. Alcohol has been used to aid sleep, and in this case it is just a myth. It is known to help induce sleep, but it actually disrupts the sleep cycle, causes “intermittent awakenings,” and can cause “hangovers” in the morning (NSF, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and alcoholism). With caffeine it has been used to wake up many people, always having coffee in the morning. Never consume caffeine before going to bed, it takes 3 to 7 hours for caffeine to be dramatically reduced in the bloodstream (Natl Soft Drink Assn., Tea Council, Pharmacopeia Complex Drug Reference, FDA Natl Center for Drugs and Biologics).