THE REAL REASON YOU CAN'T SLEEP

You might be losing Zzzs because you're too worried about tossing and turning. Here, strategies to help quell your anxiety so you can successfully drift off

- MARCY LOVITCH

YOU LIKELY KNOW the countless benefits of sleep, from improving immunity to boosting brainpower to easing stress. And you're not alone: According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, 55% of adults say a good night's sleep is a “major priority,” ranking it higher than other lifestyle factors such as spending time with family and friends and eating healthfully.

Yet one-third of Americans aren't getting the proper amount of sleep needed to protect their health, according to the National Institutes of Health. There are many different reasons we aren't well-rested, but more and more of us are miss-ing out on our Zzzs because we're stressing about the quantity and the quality of our sleep. In fact, a recent survey by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that 81% of Americans say worry about sleep leads them to toss and turn—a phenomenon sleep researchers have dubbed orthosomnia, or the obses-sive pursuit of optimal sleep.

One driver of orthosomnia is the increased reliance on sleep tracking devices such as smart-watches, rings, headbands, sleep masks and mattress sensors.