Last night, I went to sleep around 11:30 only to wake up at 3:00 AM. Darn insomnia. For me, sleep is as elusive as the Loch Ness monster. It's a bummer, too, because sleep is so important for health. Not only does it directly affect your energy level, a good night's rest can also help you manage your weight, and research now shows that skipping sleep can harden your arteries.

If you're like me and sleep doesn't come easy, try these tips:

• Exercise regularly, but not within three hours of bedtime.
  
• Don't eat or drink a lot before bed.
• Stick to a schedule, and try to go to bed at roughly the same time each night.
• Make your bedroom restful by turning out all the lights, keeping the TV and radio off and maybe investing in a white noise machine (or using something like a quiet fan or air purifier for white noise).
• Relax before bedtime with a bath, a book or anything else that calms you. Avoid the computer and TV right before bed as they can be stimulating.

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The American Heart Association's Go Red campaign draws attention to heart disease in women. The organization recently announced the nine women that are going to be the faces of the campaign.

While having a celebrity promote a cause is inspiring, I think having real women -- women that could be your friends, sisters, neighbors -- is even more inspiring. Take 39-year-old Cathy for instance; she's an athlete but when her heart rate skyrocketed unexpectedly she went to the doctor and was later diagnosed with cardiomyopathy. Or 53-year-old Patricia who underwent surgery after learning she had a severely blocked artery; while on the operating table she went into cardiac arrest and was miraculously revived. Their stories are going to be aired on NBC soon; AHA has an airtime schedule for your convenience.

You can also take inspiration from the seven real women that are the faces of AHA's Choose to Move fitness program.

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Healthy eating is important for everyone -- it helps you maintain an appropriate weight, provides your body with the right mix of vitamins and minerals, and sustains energy. But healthy eating has another perk ... it helps promote male fertility.

Male infertility is the cause of roughly half of all infertility cases. And erectile dysfunction can affect a couple's sex life and strain a relationship. To maintain or improve sexual function and fertility, a heart-healthy diet is imperative. Healthy blood pressure and unclogged arteries equal an improved blood flow -- and when it comes to men, improved blood flow equals healthier sexual function.

Check out the gallery for seven foods that can help improve male sexual function. And for more on men's sexual health, visit AOL Body.

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The lesser known sister of coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral arterial disease (PAD) involves clogging of the arteries around the body -- often in the legs. The two conditions often go hand in hand, but researchers have recently reported that, of the two, patients with PAD often fare worse.

Researchers based their findings on comparisons of CAD patients who underwent coronary angioplasty and PAD patients who underwent a variety of surgical interventions such as abdominal aortic surgery and lower limb reconstruction. The annual mortality rate for PAD patients was 5.7% -- 2.7% higher that than for CAD patients.

Researchers state that PAD patients are less likely to receive medication for their condition. The undertreatment could be the cause of the higher mortality rate.

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If you're lean and healthy and you want to stay that way, steering clear of burgers is a wise move. It's an even wiser move for those who are obese -- studies show that obese people are even more affected by burgers and other high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods.

In one study, 10 normal-weight folks and eight obese folks were fed an 1,800-calorie meal consisting of a burger, fries, cola, and apple pie. After two hours, blood tests showed that both groups had increased inflammatory and oxidative stress -- key factors in artery hardening, which leads to heart attack and stroke. Another hour later, the lean eaters' levels were back to normal. The obese group's numbers were still rising. The interesting twist is this: a high-fiber, fruit-based meal full of 1,800 calories had no such adverse effects.

This study, detailed in the March 2008 Reader's Digest, is small and therefore not conclusive. Still, we might learn a lesson from it: Ditch the greasy burgers, especially if you're above a normal weight range, and embrace fiber and fruit. Nothing new, is it? Consider it a friendly reminder.

If burgers are a must-have for you, check out these healthier varieties.

12 "healthy" foods that really aren't:

Why? Click to find out!

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Medtronic, one of the larger biotech manufacturing forms that specialize in medical devices, is set to release a new drug-coated stent for heart patients.

Although the drug-coated stent is not exactly a new idea, Medtronic's offering -- dubbed the Endeavor -- is slated for regulatory approval by the end of 2007. What's so special about it, you ask?

The Endeavor stent has the same potential problems such as artery re-narrowing and drug delivery system as other stent products, but it's safety features are the differentiator.

Endeavor is supposed to be much safer than other drug-coated stents from makers like Johnson and Johnson which have seen numerous safety concerns in recent years, despite being best-sellers in the biotechnology market for patients. Perhaps Medtronics will turn that perception around.

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Are you familiar with peripheral arterial disease (PAD)? I must admit, I was unaware of what it was, and 75 percent of the adult population in the U.S. is apparently in the same boat.

PAD is a very common blockage of blood vessels in the legs that boosts heart risk. It's estimated that 8 million Americans are affected with PAD, but most of the country has no idea it exists. Sounds like a matter of education to me. Artery blockages anywhere in the body is something patients need to know about. Well, let's just say citizens and include everyone.

PAD happens when the arteries in the legs are blocked with fatty deposits, much like what happens quite often in heart disease. The problem here is that the heart doesn't have an issue - the leg does, and amputation can even result in some cases.

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Trouble walking is not a normal part of aging, and according to doctors at Georgetown University Hospital there is a major push for more patients to get checked for PAD, or peripheral artery disease. PAD is a little-known but surprisingly common disease that causes arteries in the legs to stiffen and narrow, eventually cutting off the blood flow altogether. Ulcers, infection, and even gangrene with the possibility of amputation are the unfortunate end stages of the disease. 12 million Americans deal with PAD every year, and although anybody can get it, diabetics, African Americans, and the elderly (over 70yrs old) are at the highest risk. Other risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, and heart disease.

On the upside, PAD is extremely easy to for your doctor to check for at your appointments -- simply feeling the pulse in your ankle and comparing arm and leg blood pressures is an accurate way of evaluating the possibility of PAD. Treatments, however, are not so simple. Many studies are underway on the most effective treatments for both early-stage and late-stage PAD, varying from special leg exercises to medications to surgery. There is even a success story in the article of a man who had successful implantation of the latest type of artificial artery.

So next time you have an MD appt, or sooner if you feel you're at higher risk, ask about getting checked for PAD. It won't take long!

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