Sleep is extremely essential for our health:

Sleep plays a vital role in the function of your brain and bodily systems. A lack of sleep actually disrupts emotional and intellectual function.
Sleep helps regulate your metabolism and appetite. Lack of restful sleep may be associated with an increased risk of becoming overweight or obese since your body needs sleep to balance out your hunger and satiety hormones.
Sleep supports the optimal function of your immune, hormonal, and cardiovascular systems. Lack of sleep promotes inflammation and can increase your risk for heart issues and hormonal imbalances.
Sleep helps you live longer. A 2014 study published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience concluded that regularly getting enough sleep is a significant factor in achieving longer life spans and essential is cell repair.

A large list of things can interfere with healthy sleep patterns, including medical causes like heart or kidney disease, heartburn, drinking alcohol or consuming sugar before bed as well as musculoskeletal disorders and psychological causes like anxiety and depression; and poor sleep “hygiene” (meaning “habits that can get you a good night’s sleep”).

How Much Sleep Is necessary?

Research shows that getting too little sleep — or too much sleep! can raise your risk for heart disease, and even early death.

How much sleep is ideal? Studies indicate that a sleep cycle of approximately seven hours per night is optimal for the health and functioning of most adults. However, that may vary based on your age, health, activity level, and genetic makeup.

Foods and Beverages for optimal Sleep.

Nuts and seeds. Walnuts, especially, are high in melatonin and can increase your body’s melatonin levels.
Beans and legumes are also natural sources of melatonin. Legumes are also a source of tryptophan.
Fruits. Kiwi may improve sleep quality and duration among people with sleep problems. And dark cherries are known to significantly reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, improving sleep patterns in some people.
Darky leafy green vegetables, which are full of lutein and zeaxanthin — carotenoids that are natural blue light filters. Furthermore, leafy greens are packed with micronutrients that may help promote sleep, like tryptophan, potassium, magnesium, fiber, iron, calcium, vitamin C, and complex carbs.
Whole grains, are a rich source of magnesium, a mineral that binds to GABA receptors and works as a natural muscle relaxant. Other good sources of magnesium include avocados, bananas, nuts and seeds, and wheat germ, making them some of the best foods for sleep.
Tea, especially chamomile, peppermint, lavender, lemon balm, or passionflower. Teas can reduce inflammation and anxiety, calm your nerves, and act as a natural sedative. One study found that passionflower tea was as effective as the sleep medication Ambien at inducing sleep.
Plain water can help you stay hydrated and promote restful sleep. But rather than guzzling a bunch of water right before bed, it’s best to drink water throughout the day. That way, your not getting up in the middle of the night to urinate.

Timing is Essential

Here’s an important element that many need to know: The amount of time between your last meal or beverage, and when you go to sleep, can substantially influence how much rest you actually get at night. If you’ve ever eaten a heavy meal near bedtime, you may have noticed that you’re having trouble falling asleep. It also might wake you up during the night because your body is digesting and detoxifying

To sleep optimally, steer clear of eating for at least a few hours before bedtime.

finally: Exercise, breathing, 20min of sunlight and no blue light (cell phones) before bed! Watch this video for more perspective and knowledge on the importance of sleep.