If there's one thing a century or more of sleep science has established, it's that sleep deserves to be a priority. We hear much about the importance of exercise to our long-term well-being, and how diet and health are inextricably linked. Sleep, however, is typically an afterthought.

As many as 70 million U.S. adults are being deprived of the restful sleep their bodies require for good health and optimal performance.

Whether you are desperately seeking a solution to your sleep woes or are simply curious if there's more that you can do to improve your sleep and, ultimately, your health, this book has the answers. Inside you'll find information on:

Healthy lifestyle habits to improve sleep. The importance of your body's internal clock and how to keep it in sync. How sleep changes with age. Effective therapies to treat insomnia. The risks and benefits of sleep medicines. Improved and emerging devices to treat sleep apnea. Unusual behaviors during sleep and what causes them. Narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome and other less common sleep disorders.

With the right approach, most sleep problems can be successfully treated - or prevented. Use the science-based methods and advice of Mayo Clinic sleep specialists to start sleeping better today.

Mayo Clinic's Center for Sleep Medicine is one of the largest sleep medicine facilities in the United States, with staff caring for more than 60,000 adult and pediatric patients with sleep disorders each year. The center partners with physicians around the world to find answers for patients with some of the most complex sleep conditions.