The average human will spend about one third of their life sleeping. But this is just an average. Some people will spend more time sleeping, some people will spend less time sleeping. Sleep needs change as we age, and as we encounter different events in our life.

Most people probably need more than 8 hours a night sleep. One study showed that full rested adults sleep about 8 1/4 hours a night.

Determining the amount of sleep that an older person needs can be difficult. Often the various medications that an older person is taking affect the sleep cycle, and this makes the determination even more complicated. It is probably best to resort to some simple tests.

The goal of setting a sleep schedule is to lower your sleep debt to the point where the amount of sleep that you get at night keeps you awake all day. When you get to the point where you don't yawn, you don't nod off, your sleep debt is probably minimal. You will find a fantastic change in your life when you reach this point. Your energy will improve, your clarity of thought will improve. Many people report a giant improvement in their moods. Sleep deprivation can cause irritability and depression.

One starting point in curing your sleep debt, is to make a commitment to do something about it. Make a commitment to put sleep first in your life. You will feel better if you occassionally sleep longer, sometimes go to bed earlier. If you feel tired before switching on the TV at night, try going to bed instead.