When one is facing the desperation of another sleepless night, it may be natural to wonder if treating insomnia is possible with the use of aromatherapy.

The human brain is an extraordinary thing, and it is not uncommon for us to strongly link memories with our senses, including smells. For example, a whiff of a familiar perfume may bring your grandmother promptly to mind. Any number of other scents may cause memories and feelings to envelop you. Are there certain scents that can likewise induce sleep?

Find out more.

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In a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), one in nine adults reported never getting enough sleep during the previous month.

Some 11 percent said there was not one single day during the previous month that they were able to get enough sleep. Most adults need seven to nine hours of sleep each night. However, it is possible to determine your sleep needs. Another 16.8 percent said they had gotten insufficient sleep for more than half of the month.

The data were collected as part of the CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which surveyed 404,000 people in all 50 states via telephone. Experts agree that insufficient sleep can have major health consequences.

_{Source: McKnight-Eily L., et al. "Perceived insufficient rest or sleep among adults - United States, 2008". MMWR 2009; 58: 1175-79.}

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As the year draws to a close, it may be time to use up that money you set aside in your flexible spending account before it's too late.

Flexible spending accounts are an option provided by employers for setting aside pre-taxed income that can be used for anticipated health expenses. These expenses can be quite varied, and may include office copayments, medications, or equipment used to treat sleep disorders. Unfortunately, any money that is not used by the end of the year is lost.

So if you have money sitting in your flexible spending account waiting to be used, now is the time to act.

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It is sometimes difficult to objectively characterize something like sleepiness. We know it when we feel it, but it may be something that is difficult to put a number on.

The Epworth sleepiness scale is devised to do just that. It is routinely used to assess the degree of an individual's sleepiness. This is done by presenting common situations and asking how likely you are to fall asleep in them.

This can be a useful measure to establish a starting point in those with sleep disorders and also to monitor a response to treatment over time.

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If you experience excessive daytime sleepiness, you may be a candidate for multiple sleep latency testing (MSLT).

MSLT is a protocol that is often used to test whether an individual has an excessive drive to sleep. This is determined through a series of nap studies that determine sleep latency, or how long it takes you to fall asleep. Explore how MSLT is conducted and what it measures.

In the right scenarios, it may be used to diagnose both narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia.

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We have all had those sleepless nights. We toss and turn, struggling to find a comfortable position. Every little noise wakes us. We check the clock a million times. This may be a simple case of acute insomnia, but when is it something more? When does this cross the line and become a disorder? Learn about insomnia, how often it occurs, its classical symptoms, and the most common causes. Then share what most often causes your insomnia.

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It is something that you may experience nearly every morning when you wake up: that compelling, nearly irresistible desire to go back to sleep. Even after you get up, you may feel groggy and ready to return to bed. This is called sleep inertia, and it can make it very difficult to wake up and function at your best. Learn about this phenomenon and its potential cause.

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Everyone has their own particular sleep needs. In five easy steps, you can determine just how much sleep you need.

Start by setting aside time to focus on your sleep and you'll have taken the first step today. By following these instructions you'll be better rested before you know it.

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In case you were too busy celebrating Halloween to remember, don't forget to set your clocks back one hour this morning.

Daylight savings time ended at 2 a.m. on the morning of November 1, when the shift was made back to standard time with clocks moved back one hour.

Do yourself a favor and use this time to get some extra sleep.

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In a society that increasingly runs 24 hours a day, someone has to work those non-traditional shifts to keep things running. There can be profoundly varied professions involved: doctors on call at a hospital, pilots at the controls of a red-eye flight, clerks at a convenience store, maids cleaning deserted business offices, or countless others. These demands can present interesting dilemmas.

Given the demands of working odd hours, and human limits, one might wonder: is it ever okay to sleep on the job? Certainly we don't want someone "asleep at the switch". However, some of these jobs naturally have down-time during the night, perhaps enough to allow the person to catch a few winks. Should this be encouraged or frowned upon?

In such a discussion, we must acknowledge the limits of what we can do. Demands sometimes exceed that which we can tolerate. Our bodies prefer to follow a circadian rhythm, and being up all night can lead to significant distress. In some instances, providing structured relief of duties may be a solution. In addition, acknowledging that we weren't really meant to function at our peak 24 hours a day may give some leeway where it is needed.

Additionally, we must reflect on our collective expectations: of those on whom we place the demands to maintain our 24-hour society, and of ourselves.

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