If you are waking up at night, this may be what's happening - especially if you are waking up early in the morning, like 3:00 am.

One of the many things that intrigues me about sleep is that it is an irrefutable way in which we are deeply connected to the planet earth. We literally need to be in rhythm with the cycles of our planet. As night follows day, we sleep, we wake. If we don't, we feel it. It is elemental, basic. Essential to our body, mind and spirit.

I write this post on the longest day of the year, the summer solstice. It is a time when evening extends on and on, offering a long slow quietening through the extended dusk. Then comes the lovely warm cover of night, a perfect time for romantic walks, star gazing, or sitting on the deck with friends and family. A time for just contemplating life, wrapped in the protective darkness of a summer night.

You have poor sleep. It has gotten worse and worse over the years.

You are not alone.

Little do we know it, but while we sleep our immune system is coordinating a busy night crew that is working hard to protect us from invaders and cleaning out the trash from daytime activity. It is functioning as the night time security staff and maintenance personnel.

This is a time of great unsettling, of overwhelming uncertainty. Suddenly everything is tossed into the unknown. We fill this space with hope, denial, projections, fears, worries, and rumors. This can mess with your sleep.

How much sleep do you really need? Consistently getting a good night's sleep is critical for ongoing health. But what exactly is a “good night’s sleep”? And are you getting it? Everywhere you read that you need “8 hours sleep” .If you are not getting 8 hours of sleep every night, you might feel concerned. But is that true that you need 8 hours of sleep? Let’s find out; How much sleep do you really need?

Do you feel like curling up under a blanket for the winter? Here’s why.