Just enjoy resting comfortably. Unplug your reading lamp; turn your clock to the wall; don't be concerned about the time. You are in nature's hands. Take the attitude that you will get as much rest as nature wants you to have at that moment, as much as you need, even if you're not actually sleeping. Let your mind wander freely. Go to bed at a regular time - we'll discuss this in more detail in this part - and once in bed assume a comfortable position and don't worry about sleeping.

Some people think they've slept quite well when in fact they may have slept very little. According to Dr. Peter Hauri, director of the Insomnia Program at the Mayo Clinic, some patients consider their inability to sleep a sign of concern for the world's problems: "How can anyone fall sweetly to sleep in a world as miserable as ours?" "It was impossible to keep up with those people," the young lawyer said, "but their attitude was, 'How can I put my need for sleep ahead of the needs of the firm?'" Studies show that, at least in the short term, people can carry out everyday tasks in normal ways even though they may not get enough sleep. Don't worry about whether you'll be able to perform well at work the next day. So, by lying quietly in bed, you may be getting more sleep, or less, than you think you are, but at least you'll be getting the significant rest that comes from just being still.

Thirty-four percent of those who said they weren't sleepy at all exhibited signs of severe sleep debt. In research conducted by Dr. Thomas Roth, of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, one hundred young adults were asked to rate their level of daytime sleepiness and were then tested for sleep-deprived behavior. Indeed, a sleep-deprived person doesn't have to be in bed to fall asleep right away. But a sleep-deprived person loses consciousness almost immediately - although he or she is very unlikely to sleep through the night. A well-rested, healthy person requires between ten and fifteen minutes to fall asleep after getting into bed at night. Researchers have evolved an efficient system for identifying this phenomenon.