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The September issue of Runner's World profiled Tera Moody, a chronic insomniac and one of the country's best marathoners. You would never link sleep deprivation and strong running performance, yet Moody's success in itself poses an interesting question for all of us who struggle to get the right amount of rest: Just how much sleep do you need to run well?

I mentioned Moody and her ability to function well on little sleep to Dr. Lewis Maharam, sports medicine specialist practicing in New York and medical director of the New York City Marathon. "That's good for her," he said. "But generally if you're sleep deprived you're not going to do anything as well," he added.

Now, the idea that you actually need sleep to function optimally is probably a big no duh, but what is surprising is that what constitutes sleep deprived really depends on you. "Everyone is a research project unto themselves," says Maharam. "Some people really need eight and 10 hours of sleep, some only need six. It's up to you to figure out what you need to perform your best." Good news for you late-night TV fans, like myself: If you've been forcing yourself to go to bed earlier thinking that additional miles requires additional sleep that may not be the case.

Count me in as one of the thousands of people who suffer from frustratingly chronic insomnia. It seriously sucks, man. But want to know one of the best ways to ensure you get a good night's sleep every night? Watching your weight is key, according to a recent reports.

We told you earlier today that sleeping can help you slim down. Now we're telling you slimming down can help you sleep? Sure enough. Researchers found that people who consistently had a hard time sleeping were able to get more slumber when they were following a diet that was lower in calories. Additionally, once they reached a healthier weight, their sleeping patterns were much more regular. And sleeping disorders like sleep apnea and even snoring were less prominent and even cured with weight loss.

Well, that's certainly something to think about while you're tossing and turning tonight, huh?

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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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Think about what you ate the night before your bout with insomnia, says RealAge. Because your meals and snacks may be the very things stealing your slumber. What follows are some items you might want to avoid pre-bedtime.

• Spicy foods: Garlic, chilies, cayenne, and other intense spices can cause heartburn or indigestion.
• A big dinner: A busy digestive system takes hours to settle down. When you really need to sleep, make lunch your largest meal, and try a light 500-calorie dinner early in the evening.
• Raucous veggies: Avoid gassy foods, like beans, cauliflower, broccoli, and brussels sprouts in the middle of the day.
• Speed eating: Eat slowly to avoid swallowing air, a common cause of midnight tummy trouble.
• Nightcaps: You might think alcohol makes you drowsy but really, it disturbs sleep and leads to awakenings and restlessness.
• Coffee after breakfast: Caffeine can linger in your body for as long as 12 hours. So you might want to avoid it for at least 12 hours before turning in for the night.

  Natural sleep - what works and what doesn't(click thumbnails to view gallery)

  
  
  

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Surely, you've heard it before: Exercise helps you sleep. Yep. But any old exercise won't do. It's got to be cardio.

Aerobic exercise is best if you're trying to lull yourself to sleep at night. Think cardio – not weight training – and make it moderate. You don't want to get too hot and sweaty, but you do want to get moving.

One recent study of volunteers with insomnia showed that exercise helped the sleepy heads fall asleep more quickly, wake up less often during the night, and increase their total sleep time after they walked or jogged on a treadmill for 50 minutes a few hours before bedtime.

Ready for the sandman to pay you a lengthy visit? Lace up those shoes and get going. Consider these gallery tips for a good night's sleep too.

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I've said it before: When it comes to weight loss, there are no quick fixes -- well, at least none that are healthy and effective in the long run. These days, there's a lot of buzz about one quick weight loss plan. Dubbed a miracle pill, this once-daily medication has been shown to shrink study participants two clothing sizes in six months, more effective than any other pill on the market.

Here's the scary part: Originally developed to treat Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, tesofensine alters the chemicals in the brain that control appetite and hunger. The side effects include diarrhea, nausea, constipation, insomnia and mood changes. Yikes!

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According to the article, our bodies use sleep to release certain hormones, including those essential for growth and development. If we wake in the middle of the night, those functions are disrupted. One example is cortisol. For people with normal sleep patterns, this stress hormone peaks around 4 a.m. We're blissfully unaware because we snooze through it. Then, a doctor is quoted as saying: "If you're awake longer than you should be for a few days, that puts your body under stress, which leads to higher levels of cortisol."

Let's hope I have some luck tonight.

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Do you have trouble sleeping sometimes? Yeah. Me too. Standard recommendations for getting a good night's rest include going to bed at the same time each night, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed, exercising regularly, and avoiding daytime naps. It's also good to make your bedroom a restful environment -- not for working or other activities, just for sleeping. Also, avoid using the computer and watching TV just before bed.

But what works for one person, doesn't work for everyone. In my case, it's almost necessary to sleep with the TV on. The main reason I can't sleep at night is I just can't turn my brain off enough to rest. Leaving the TV set on some old re-runs allows me to distract myself enough from worrying but yet not pay too much attention. That way, I'm able to get to sleep. It's odd, and it's completely opposite of the typical suggestions, but it's what works for me.

BBC Health users submitted some tips for beating insomnia. The tips include playing Sudoku, counting backward from 300, and writing down everything that's on your mind. They certainly aren't the most common recommendations, but they must work for the people who sent in the idea. How about you? What are your tips for a better night's sleep?

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I'm a night owl. In fact, many nights my night-owlish tendencies merge right into insomnia. My son, on the other hand, is an early bird. We have a rule in our house that says he can't leave his room until 6 a.m. Otherwise, he'd have me up at 5:15 or so every morning. When you pair my late nights with my (unwilling) early mornings, you end up with one tired gal. I try to avoid napping as I worry that it will mess with my ability to sleep at night. According to this article, taking a brief snooze in the afternoon is a healthy thing to do.

I first read about this over on our sister site, DIYLife, and I was happy to see the health perks a short nap can have. Naps can boost alertness, creativity, and mood while reducing stress. Read the article for tips on when and how to nap... it just might do your body good!

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"Hi. My name is Maggie and I have insomnia." There's got to be a support group for insomniacs somewhere, right? My guess is they meet at 3 a.m.

I just recently had a bad bout of insomnia where I was only getting an hour or two of sleep a night. My sleep troubles tend to come in fits and starts, however, so the bad stretch has ended and I'm back to sleeping more normally. I do notice that when I'm sleep deprived, my son's behavior changes. I'm less energetic and perhaps a bit shorter-tempered and he starts to react to that. According to a recent study, adolescents can be greatly affected by a parent's insomnia. Not only are the adolescents more prone to insomnia themselves, they're more likely to feel depressed and suicidal.

In the study, nearly 800 adolescents completed a questionnaire. Some of the children had parents with insomnia, others did not. Those who had a parent with a sleep disorder were more than three times as likely to have a sleep disorder themselves. More alarmingly, 17% of children who had a parent with insomnia reported suicidal ideations -- 11.7% more than children who didn't have a parent with insomnia.

To learn more about insomnia, hop over to AOL Body.

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It's free, it takes no skill or education, and it's one of the #1 things we can all do to improve our health, yet we never seem to get enough of it. Sleep! Despite all those other qualities, sleep, for millions of Americans, is also one of the most elusive things due to time constraints, stress, and any other number of things that keep us from the getting the deep restful repose we all so desperately want and need.

Making the commitment to make sleep a priority is only the first step -- after that, beating all the sneaky obstacles (like finding the time and "getting in the mood" for sleep) becomes a necessity. Follow these tips to beat whatever sleep problems you are facing and get the best sleep possible, and hence, the best results from your healthy lifestyle and fitness efforts!

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At That's Fit, we've discussed the importance of good sleep many times. A restful night's sleep can boost your energy, help manage stress, and can even help you maintain a healthy weight. But there are a lot of notions about good sleep that may or may not be true. To help you decipher fact from fiction, Revolution Health busts some of those sleep myths.

• Myth: Health issues have no relation to sleep. Fact: Other health problems such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and depression can lead to sleeplessness or disrupted sleep patterns.
  
• Myth: The older you get, the less sleep you need. Fact: The average adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep. Older adults may have more disturbed sleep, so a short nap during the day can help them catch up on their body's need for sleep.
• Myth: Snoring isn't harmful. Fact: While, for some people, snoring is nothing but a nuisance, it can be a sign of sleep apnea.
  

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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition that people who have endured a traumatic event such as war, a violent crime, or abuse sometimes deal with. PTSD includes symptoms such as nightmares, irrational fears, flashbacks, anxiety, and insomnia. It affects about 7.7 million American adults and it can affect children, too.

Preliminary research suggests that PTSD patients may benefit from virtual reality psychotherapy. The virtual reality helps patients relive some of their traumatic experiences while in a safe environment. Iraq war veterans took part in the study -- taking medication and using the virtual reality treatments -- and it's helped many of them confront their fears.

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Sleep is important for kids. Disturbed sleep can lead to poor school performance and behavior problems. My son is just about to turn 11. He's at his best when he gets about 10 hours of sleep though, more often than not, he wakes up after nine hours. When he gets less than that he is grumpy, unfocused, and defiant for the rest of the day. What makes matters worse is that my son has ADHD, which disrupts his sleep. It's a vicious circle, really. The ADHD makes it harder for him to sleep and a lack of sleep exacerbates his ADHD symptoms.

It turns out that my son is not alone. A recent survey found that more than 73% of kids with ADHD have sleep problems including difficult falling asleep, resistance to sleeping, and still feeling tired after waking up. There are many ways to help your child get proper sleep.

• First and foremost, speak to your doctor if your child has ADHD and is having trouble sleeping. If your child is on ADHD medication it may be worsening his/her ability to get to sleep. Your doctor may have advice for adjusting the medication or even simply modifying the time of day your child takes meds.

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