A lot of people have sleep problems and for many this is very debilitating, affecting their relationships, ability to function properly and they very often feel depressed and just not interested in life.

Your body repairs itself during sleep so if you're not sleeping it can't repair and the accumulation of all the damage can lead to more serious disease. Sleep has to be resolved and most certainly by correcting the real source of the problem instead of trying to cover up the symptoms by taking something that knocks one out.

Of course, for some, there can be more serious underlying reasons and these should be addressed by a competent medical doctor - competent, being the operative word. That means one who does not just brush it off with pills but rather works with you to resolve dietary and stressful issues.

Very often, there are some basic and very simple solutions to a sleep problem and here are some of them:

1. Electronic equipment of any sort, including bedside clocks, emit electro-magnetic pulses. For most this is not a problem but for many it is. It can cause one not to be able to sleep. Even if they're switched, they can still be a problem. I have tested a number of people on these devices and found a percentage who cannot tolerate them in their space but, of course, we have to live. However, if you're intolerant of them, you definitely need to remove them from your sleeping area. This includes TV's, clock radios, cell phone, computers, etc.

It would be easy to test if this is contributing to your sleep problems by just removing them for a few nights. You can always put them back into your space if there's absolutely no change. I must just add here that it is better not to sleep with them in your space even if you're not seriously affected just because it isn't ideal to have them around you day and night.

2. Don't drink any caffeinated beverages - coffee, tea, products that contain caffeine - after 2pm. If you have taken some, you might try taking a good quality B complex along with a good calcium and magnesium formula to counteract the effects.

3. Don't have any sugar or refined carbohydrate (white flour products like cakes, cookies, pastas) after 6pm. In addition, try eating a light protein snack before going to bed. By this I mean a good quality wholegrain cracker with some cream cheese or peanut butter or similar. This will compensate any blood sugar issue that could be causing you not to be able to sleep. Low blood sugar just makes one unable to switch off.

4. Avoid carbonated or bubbly drinks, including sparkling water. This means soda pop (coca cola etc), sparkling drinks etc. They leach (pull) the minerals out of your body, creating dehydration. Dehydration does not necessarily mean you need water only but minerals. It's the lack of minerals that causes the problem. That's why they put you on a drip if you end up in hospital as a result of dehydration. That's so they can get minerals (electrolytes) into your body. Extreme dehydration can result in death. Drinking excessive amounts of water is not the solution. Drink appropriate amounts for your body size PLUS the minerals you need. These are also very important for your adrenal glands as they influence your blood pressure.

The idea is to get adequate minerals, especially potassium, salt, calcium, magnesium, etc. When I talk about salt, I'm not referring to common refined table salt. No-one needs that. Real salt from the inland lakes, seas and Himalayan Mountains contain a full array of minerals. We all need these minerals. There's also a specific way to get in your calcium and magnesium.

Taking tablets of calcium is not optimum as calcium and magnesium need to be taken together and in a form that the body can easily use. It also needs to have the correct pH balance.

5. Another nutritional item that many people are deficient in is good quality fish oils that supply vitamins A & D (DHA, EPA, etc). Your nervous and endocrine (hormonal) systems need them to function properly.