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Difficulty falling or staying asleep is a common problem. About half of Americans report sleep difficulty at least occasionally, according to National Sleep Foundation surveys. These woes - called insomnia by doctors - have far-reaching effects: a negative impact on concentration, productivity and mood.

Fortunately, there are many things you can do to improve your sleep. The first step requires some detective work. You'll need to examine your diet, exercise patterns, sleeping environment, personal habits, lifestyle and current concerns. As you begin to see the connection between, for example, what and/or when you eat and nights of poor sleep, you can develop your own good sleep plan.

Keep in mind that good sleep doesn't always just happen. Like a successful play, a restful night of ZZZs demands a strong director's hand and a stage set appropriately. If you've been sleeping poorly for some time, you may have fallen into some bad sleep habits that reinforce your problem. Read on to learn more about sleep.

Just Say No...to Caffeine and Alcohol?

All too often, we eat and drink without thinking about the effects. That afternoon cup of coffee seems like a good idea at the time. The dinnertime wine may appear a fitting celebration of the day's success. But that same drink can prove an enemy of restful sleep.

Coffee contains caffeine, as do many teas, chocolate and cola drinks. Caffeine is a stimulant, which means it has an alerting or wake-up effect. For some people, a small amount of caffeine early in the day can cause problems falling asleep ten to 12 hours later. Others have learned to avoid caffeine-containing drinks and foods within six hours of bedtime.

How you respond to caffeine is individual; it is also related to how much caffeine you have regularly. For example, the more coffee you drink each day, the less powerful its effect as a stimulant.

How to determine caffeine's effect on you? Try eliminating caffeinated food and drink after lunch for a few weeks. Are you sleeping better? If so, you may have identified the culprit.

Alcohol, in contrast, is often thought of as a sedative: a calming drug. However, while alcohol may speed the beginning of sleep, it actually increases the number of times you awaken in the later half of the night. If your sleep isn't restful, alcohol (beer, wine, hard liquor) may be the cause. Skip the nightcap and see if your sleep improves.

Caffeine and alcohol aren't the only substances that affect your sleep. Everything you eat can affect nighttime slumber. For example, tomato products and spicy foods give many people heartburn (as does eating too fast). What does heartburn have to do with sleep? Lying down makes heartburn worse, and heartburn itself makes falling asleep more difficult. Heartburn also awakens sleepers with middle-of-the-night discomfort.

Drinking too much of any beverage can lead to more awakenings because of the need to urinate during the night. Also, the older we get, the more we experience these nighttime awakenings.

Try to restrict your fluids before bedtime to help promote an uninterrupted night's sleep. If the problem persists, talk to your doctor.

Another cause of sleep problems can be eating too much - of any food - that can make sleep difficult. A heavy meal close to bedtime may make you less comfortable when you settle down for your night's rest. At the same time, going to bed hungry can be just as disruptive to sleep as going to bed too full.