Our understanding of what sleep is and why it is important grows daily. It's clear that poor sleep plays a role in all sorts of disease states. Sadly, more and more people report sleep disturbances to their doctors.  Is this a new epidemic we are facing, or is it just our awareness of the issue that makes it seem so? In this episode, we take a look at the role sleep plays in our health, what happens when sleep is disturbed, and how insomnia can be treated. Take a listen and see what you think. We try not to put you to sleep, but you might want to grab a cup of coffee whiel you listen anyway. Resources: Arianna Huffington's story Sleep and Chronic Disease Sleep loss and inflammation Sleep, ghrelin, leptin and weight gain Meta analyis of melatoning and sleep duration Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia