Or perhaps you fall asleep easily, but wake up at 3 a.m. and can't fall back asleep. Or maybe you wake up and fall asleep several times each night, but rarely get one long, uninterrupted stretch of restful, refreshing sleep. More than 100 million Americans experience occasional insomnia, which is why at 2 a.m., some 20 million are watching television, according to the A.C. Neilsen Company, which tracks TV viewing. Compared with normal sleepers, insomniacs are less productive at work, have twice as many auto accidents, and also report generally poorer health because sleep is critical to immune function. No wonder that in the Bible, insomnia was one of the trials of Job.
Caffeine is a powerful stimulant.
Alcohol disrupts sleep. Nicotine is a stimulant. Poor diet, or sleep-disturbing dining habits . High-fat foods are hard to digest and may disrupt sleep. Eating too late at night can do the same.