Infants do it, babies have to learn how to master it, teenagers have a love/hate relationship with it, adults want more of it. If we don't do it enough, we might lose our job, ruin relationships, injure others. If we don't do it properly, we might die.

Yet sleep problems and disorders haunt some 70 million Americans. It's become so common that sleep medicine is now a mainstay in the medical industry when, a generation ago, it didn't even exist.

"Years ago, people went to bed when it got dark. Electricity has changed that," said Dr. Richard Castriotta, medical director of the Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center Sleep Disorders Center. "Then television came along and changed it again. Then computers came along and changed it again. Even those who have normal wake/sleep schedules and work hours are staying up later and getting less sleep than they used to, on average a couple of hours less a night than a generation ago."

If just being tired isn't enough, statistics show that lack of sleep can do far more damage. U.S. Department of Transportation data says that inadequate sleep is the cause of more than 100,000 motor vehicle accidents each year, including 1,550 fatalities, 71,000 injuries and $12.5 billion in damages. Those with severe sleep apnea are more than five times more likely to die of cardiovascular disease.

Although it's difficult to quantify, experts agree that sleep deprivation repeatedly demonstrates a negative impact on mood, cognitive performance and motor function.

These days, sleep centers have popped up across the nation in an effort to satiate the sleepless.

"At first it's pretty weird. You feel like Pinhead from (the movie) 'Hellraiser,' " said Houston resident Martial Shelvin about the numerous electrodes attached to his body for a recent sleep study at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic Sleep Center. "But then you get used to it. At first I felt a little uncomfortable knowing somebody would be taking video and watching me sleep, but I needed an answer."

Shelvin already knew he had insomnia, which is usually diagnosed based on symptoms and history, and for which a sleep study is not necessary. But Shelvin's sleep study revealed that he also has sleep apnea.

That means Shelvin, 47, has a one-two punch of the most common sleep-related complaint along with the most common sleep-related disorder.

Sleep apnea occurs when the airway collapses or is partially blocked. Some people don't get enough air whereas others stop breathing completely. Castriotta said that while it's often attributed to overweight people, slim folks can suffer from it, too.

In Shelvin's case, weight is a factor. Insomnia, though, is often related to something we can't see - anxiety and stress, which Shelvin brought home with him from Iraq after nine years as a truck driver delivering fuel to front-line troops.

"You're tired, because you just finished an 18-hour shift," he said. "You should be able to sleep, but you hear gunfire. When I did sleep, I was constantly waking up."

Dr. Ali Al-Himyary, medical director of the Kelsey-Seybold Clinic Sleep Center, said shift work is a major risk factor for developing insomnia. Some people can handle shift work and other major stressors, but others are simply more predisposed to "hyper-arousal," a state of increased physiological and psychological tension. For them, stress begets stress.

An effective way to treat this is behavioral therapy. In extreme cases, inpatient therapy might be called for, said Michael Groat, director of the Menninger Clinic Professionals in Crisis program. The program targets people who have accomplished a lot professionally but the stress of it all has resulted in depression, anxiety or substance abuse.

Groat said that cognitive behavioral therapy takes practice to master, but it can help manage stress. Consider it one step toward what Groat calls proper "sleep hygiene."

A fantastic mattress helps, too. Science has a role in mattress design now, to where it's more than just a plank on which to plunk down.

Cory Ludens, director of learning and development at Mattress Firm, said consumers need to invest a little time - at least seven minutes - testing a mattress in a store before purchasing.

When it comes to choosing a mattress, the most important consideration is what's inside the mattress - not what it looks like outside, said Karrie Forbes, Mattress Firm executive vice president of marketing and merchandising.

She explained that innerspring mattresses are made with coils to provide support and proper spinal alignment. The thickness and construction of the coils determines quality; as coil-quality increases, so does the price of the mattress.

Foam mattresses do not have springs and can be made with latex or memory foam. They respond to heat and pressure and conform to the sleeper's body. The latest advance is gel foam, mattresses that provide twice as much support and cooling comfort than standard memory foam.

"A mattress is typically something most of our guests wait to buy until they just can't wait any longer," Ludens said. "Unfortunately, their bed has probably expired by a few years already. It's just not something you think about, even though it's something you use every day."

There's no doubt a good night's sleep helps us all feel better, but that doesn't mean everybody's a morning person - yet maybe we ought to be. A recent study from the University of Toronto demonstrates that early birds are happier than night owls. And there are tricks of the trade to convert to the other side, such as eating dinner at least three to four hours before going to bed and drinking a glass of water so that overnight dehydration doesn't leave you feeling fatigued in the morning.

For those who have abnormal behavior during sleep, such as sleep walking, a visit to a sleep center would capture it, not to mention rule out or confirm nighttime seizure activity originating from the brain. Epilepsy is actually more common in the non-REM stage of sleep, more so than being awake.

"Most people I've seen have tried everything," said Dr. Aparajitha Verma, director of the Methodist Hospital Comprehensive Sleep Disorders program.

That includes hypnotic or sedative medications, or over-the-counter meds that were actually developed for other health conditions but have sleepiness as a side effect. That can actually be dangerous, Verma said, because something you might take for insomnia could result in the relaxation of airway muscles, making sleep apnea worse.

As for Shelvin, his sleep apnea is under control with the use of a CPAP, or continuous positive airway pressure, machine. As he loses weight, reduces his blood pressure and tackles insomnia, he's hopeful he can eventually say good night to the CPAP.

"It's going to be a little bit yet," Shelvin said. "But I have confidence. I'm optimistic."



What to do:

- Establish a fixed sleep/wake time

- Avoid daytime naps

- Avoid alcohol and caffeine 4-6 hours before bedtime

- Avoid strenuous exercise 2-3 hours before bedtime

If you still can't sleep:

- Do not stay in bed - get up

- Find a quiet activity to do in another room, such as reading

- Listening to the radio is OK, but avoid the television or computer

If you need meds:

- Prescription medications offer short-term relief

- Over-the-counter sleep aids often are used for other problems, with sleepiness as a side effect

- Natural aids, including melatonin and valerian, can be helpful, but check with your physician first

Still sleepless?:

- Ask your primary physician for referral to a sleep-disorder specialist

- Sleep studies can diagnose seizures, restless legs syndrome and sleep apnea, but not insomnia

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