If you are having a sleep problem or feel sleepy during the day, a visit with your doctor is the best first step. Your doctor will first want to ascertain whether there are any underlying problems that are contributing to or causing your sleep problem. Sleep is as important as food and air. Quantity and quality are very important. Most people need between 7 and 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. If you want to press the snooze alarm in the morning you are not getting the sleep you need. This could be due to not enough time in bed, external disturbances, or a sleep disorder.

In many cases, your doctor will be able to recommend lifestyle changes that can help promote sleep. Keep in mind that what works for some individuals may not work for others. So, your best bet is to find out what's effective for you and stick with it. In general, try to build into your schedule time for eight hours of sleep, and follow this routine as regularly as possible. Even on the weekends. If you can't go to sleep after 30 minutes, don't stay in bed tossing and turning. Get up and involve yourself in a relaxing activity, such as listening to soothing music or reading, until you feel sleepy. Remember: Try to clear your mind; don't use this time to solve your daily problems. Here are a few tips many people have found to be useful.

Take a Warm Bath: Take a warm (NOT HOT) bath (not a shower) before going to bed. It's a great way to relax your body. Don't overdo it, however. You merely want to relax your body, not exhaust it. Too long in hot water and your body is drained of vitality. Use bath salts, or throw in Epsom salts and baking soda -- one cup of each. These will relax you and also help remove toxins from your body.

Drink Warm Milk: A glass of warm milk 15 minutes before going to bed will soothe your nervous system. Milk contains calcium, which works directly on jagged nerves to make them (and you) relax.

Avoid "Heavy" Foods at Dinner Time: If you tend to get an acid stomach, avoid fatty foods, foods with MSG, heavy sauces, or any other food that can cause upset or acid stomach. If possible, have your main meal at noon, and a lighter meal in the evening.

Get a Massage: Have your spouse give you a massage just before going to sleep. If you can convince them to give you a full body massage, great. If not, even a short backrub and/or a face and scalp massage can be a big help. Have them make the massage strokes slow, gentle, yet firm, to work the tension out of your muscles and soothe you to sleep.

Drink Herb Tea: If you don't like milk - or are avoiding dairy products - try a cup of hot camomile, catnip, anise or fennel tea. All contain natural ingredients which will help you sleep. Most health food stores will also have special blends of herb tea designed to soothe you and help you get to sleep.

Eat a Bedtime Snack: A small, low protein, high carbohydrate bedtime snack, such as juice and cookies, eaten about an hour before bedtime, can help you fall asleep sooner. (Pizza does not qualify.) On the other hand, Some studies indicate that foods with large amounts of the amino acid L-tryptophan help us sleep better. These include warm or hot milk (but not cold milk), eggs, cottage cheese, chicken, turkey and cashews.

Sleep on a Good Firm Bed: A firm bed will give your entire body the support it needs to really relax. It's better for your spine, too.

Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol and Tobacco: Caffeine and nicotine can delay your sleep, and alcohol may interrupt your sleep later in the night. It should be obvious, but some people forget that coffee is not the only drink containing caffeine. Tea (black, not herbal), chocolate and cola drinks are also high in caffeine. Alcohol may feel like it's soothing you, but all it's doing is stupefying you. Research has shown that alcohol upsets sleep, preventing a deep rest. Same with tobacco. Avoid them all.

Listen to Music: Play some soft, soothing music that will lull you to sleep. There are even cassettes and records designed for that very purpose. Some are specially composed music, others simply have sounds of waves rhythmically breaking, or the steady pattern of a heartbeat. Of course if you don't have a record, cassette or CD player that will automatically turn off, we don't suggest this. If you have to get up and turn it off at the end, you've obviously lost its effect.

Sleep in a Well-Ventilated Room: Fresh air (we know - it's hard in the wintertime) and a room temperature between 60-65 degrees will give you the best sleeping conditions. Any warmer and you'll toss and turn from the discomfort of being too warm. Keep the thermostat down and do your temperature-adjusting inside the bed -- with more or fewer blankets.

Sleep on Your Back: It's the best position for relaxing, and allows all your internal organs to rest properly. If you must sleep on your side, do it on your right side, not your left. Sleeping on the left side causes your lungs, stomach and liver to press against your heart, causing stress on an organ that most of us find quite useful. Never sleep on your stomach. It causes pressure on all your internal organs -- including your lungs, which results in shallow breathing. It can also, as you've no doubt discovered, cause a stiff neck and upper back problems.

Keep Regular Bedtime Hours: Your body likes regular routines, whether you do or not. It likes to know that it's going to get up at the same time each day, eat at the same times, and go to bed at the same time. Not very exciting, maybe, but comfortable. So pick a reasonable and regular time to go to bed each night. And stick to it. Even if you don't think you're tired when the time comes. Your body will appreciate it. And after a while when it feels it can rely on the routine, it will begin to repay the favor by letting you get to sleep when you want.

If You Can't Sleep, Get Up: If unable to fall asleep within 20-30 minutes of lying down, get up and do something else until you feel sleepy. This way your body does not associate your bed with wakefulness. Don't like awake trying to get to sleep any longer than 30 minutes. If it goes that long, get up. Do something quiet and non-stimulating. When you feel tired again, go back to bed.

Get Some Physical Exercise During the Day: Exercise regularly, but do so at least three hours before bed-time. A workout after that time may actually keep you awake because your body has not had a chance to cool down. People with "mental" jobs, like office workers, have far more trouble with insomnia than do people who work physically hard all day. Even 15 minutes a day of exercise (at least half an hour before going to bed so your body will have a chance to slow down) will give your body the activity and oxygen it needs to help you relax more and sleep better.

Don't Sleep In: Get up at the same time every day, even on weekends and holidays. Once you've awakened, get up. Don't lie in bed awake, thinking about getting up. Just do it.

Get Up Earlier in the Morning: At least try this when you're trying to set up your new regular bedtime routine. As much as you may hate getting up one- half hour earlier (or even more) than you really have to, you'll be that much more tired at night and more apt to get to sleep. Once you and your body have the confidence that you can get to sleep when you want at night, you can go back to your preferred wake-up-in-the-morning time.

Keep Your Bed a Place for Sleep: Don't use your bed for anything other than sleep or sex. Your bed should be associated with sleep. Not for working, reading, watching television, doing crossword puzzles, or whatever else occupies you in the evening. Let your mind and body identify bed with sleeping.

Avoid Naps: If you have trouble sleeping when you go to bed, don't nap during the day, since it affects your ability to sleep at night. Sure, they're nice to do during the day, and if you couldn't sleep at night, you're grateful for any chance to sleep. But if you're really having trouble sleeping at night-- and you're not a senior citizen who sleeps for small periods of time, skip naps. You'll be more tired at bedtime and more able to fall asleep.

Avoid Illuminated Bedroom Clocks: Try to keep your bedroom as dark as possible. An illuminated bedroom clock is a source of light that can be extremely annoying if you're having a hard time getting to sleep. If you can't replace the clock, at least block its light with something. Avoid looking at the clock if you wake up in the middle of the night. It can cause anxiety.