DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What is the best way to eliminate insomnia? For almost a year, I've had trouble getting much sleep. I've tried over-the-counter medications, but they aren't very effective.

Shift work is defined as schedules outside the typical 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. day. Roughly 15 percent of full-time U.S. employees work on shifts outside this traditional schedule. For many, shift work is part of the job as service occupations like healthcare professionals and protective services  are needed 365 days a year 24 hours a day. 

If you find yourself having difficulty going to sleep at night, waking in the middle of the night without being able to get back to sleep, or waking earlier than you had planned but still feeling tired throughout the day, chances are you might have insomnia.

Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder with over half of the U.S. population having reported symptoms of acute insomnia at some point in their lives, and approximately 10-15% reporting symptoms of chronic insomnia.

While acute insomnia often goes away on its own, or can be cured by practicing better sleep hygiene, chronic insomnia can lead to a lot of serious problems down the road.

Here we focus on some of the long-term consequences of insomnia, and why you should take steps now to alleviate your sleep troubles.

Do you ever find yourself awake in the middle of the night staring at the ceiling for hours, willing sleep to come? Do you sometimes lay in bed dwelling on troubles of the past, worries of the present, or concerns for the future, all the while struggling to fall asleep? Or maybe you have difficulty staying asleep and constantly find yourself waking multiple times in the middle of the night and have trouble getting back to sleep, or you simply wake up earlier than you'd like, but find it impossible to go back to sleep.

If any of these examples sound like something you've experienced, chances are that you've had some form of insomnia, and depending on how often this happens to you, your restless nights could be sign of a serious sleep disorder.

There are a lot of reasons that attribute to sleepless nights. We live fast-paced lives that can hinder our ability to stay disconnected from electronics close to bedtime or sometimes in the middle of the night when we cannot rest. We eat on as random of schedules as we do sleep causing late-night snacking and full tummies at bedtime. We live in two-parent working households creating full schedules without a breath for relaxation.

Sleeping isn’t always the easiest thing to do. The Center of Disease Control estimates that 35% of Americans do not get enough sleep on a nightly basis, either through lifestyle habits, insomnia, or another sleep disorder. Even worse, a chronic lack of sleep raises a person’s risks for a myriad of health complications.

Falling asleep effectively might require a lifestyle change, but there are science-backed steps you can take to fall asleep quicker and easier. Even better – you won’t even have to take pills to do it.

No one needs to tell you twice – when you’re pregnant, you’re tired.  All the time.  And there’s no better time to justify hitting the snooze button one or five more times. 

According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, active duty military personnel have a high prevalence of sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, insomnia, and short sleep duration. Results also show that these sleep disorders lead to medical issues, such as depression, anxiety, and more.  With sleep research growing for active duty military personnel, many are getting the help they need through professional sleep clinics.

If you are undergoing the process of addiction recovery and you feel better and more motivated than you have in a long time, you may wonder why you seem to have greater difficulty getting a good night's sleep. According to a study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), almost 75 percent of recovering alcoholics report sleep problems following detox.