Video: Put Your Sleep Issues To Bed

Forty-four percent of Americans struggle to get a good night’s sleep, says a survey in Consumer Report’s September issue.

In a nationwide survey of 1,466 adults, almost 1 in 5 said they take prescription or over-the-counter medication at least once per week, and 24% became dependent on the medication they used. Twenty-four million prescriptions were written for the top four sleep drugs – Ambien (SNY), Lunesta (SEPR), Sonata (KG) and Restoril (COV) – in the last year alone.

"What people don't realize is these medications can pose a host of side effects, including daytime drowsiness, even bizarre behavior like sleep-walking, sleep-eating, and sleep-driving," Tod Marks, senior editor at Consumer Reports, said in a statement.
That's rather eye opening! Here’s what you can do to put your sleep issues to bed, (before turning to your doctor).