25% of adults suffer from chronic sleep disorders, and 30 to 40% of children do not get enough sleep daily. Stress and unhealthy lifestyles are the main culprits, quickly followed by workload, frequent travelling and physical ailments. Sleeping just one hour less a night (8 versus 7) decreases melatonin (our sleeping hormone) production and increases cortisol (our stress hormone) secretion. Increased cortisol further inhibits melatonin production, worsening sleep the next night. Continue reading →