Pondering over sleep

The magic number
How many hours do you need to sleep? It's a tricky question, with answers ranging from seven hours to ten. Many experts have concluded that for an average person, the duration is seven and half.

Powernaps gone wrong
A sleep-cycle lasts for about ninety minutes. If you take a nap setting the alarm to buzz after an hour, it means that you will be woken up at the deepest stages of sleep. When you are planning to pay off your sleep debt, you may do it by taking naps for ninety minutes. On the other hand, if you seek powernaps to recharge yourself, make sure the duration of sleep is around twenty minutes.

Seducing sleep
Many people find that chamomile tea, warm milk, etc. help to calm them and make them sleepy. Are these methods scientific? There have been a few studies regarding the food items and activities that are widely believed to induce sleep.
But should scientific research matter if you have personally benefited from a particular method? If you think a brisk walk after dinner or before bedtime makes you weary and sleepy, we say put on the jacket and march on.
So much so, no matter what studies say or people think, if you personally feel that watching TV before going to bed is helpful -- perhaps by letting your minds shut off the stress of the day -- then do it!