Almost 50-percent of americans don't get enough sleep. This insomnia comes in two forms: either you have difficulty falling asleep or difficulty staying asleep. Here are some of the ways you can tell if you're sleep deprived:

Sleep Deprivation Warning Signs

1. You routinely ignore your alarm clock or snatch a few extra minutes to snooze before getting up.

2. You look forward to catching up on your sleep on the weekends.

3. You have to fight to stay awake during long meetings, in overheated rooms or after a heavy meal.

4. You're irritable with co-workers, family and friends.

5. You have difficulty concentrating or remembering.

6. It takes you more than 30 minutes to fall asleep at night.

7. You wake repeatedly throughout the night.

8. You wake up groggy and not well rested

9. Your spounse complains about your snoring or fitful sleeping.

Unfortunately, when people can't sleep, the first thing they do is reach for the sleeping pills. But sleep experts say that's the last thing they should do.

Dr. Catesby Ware is with the Sentara Sleep Disorders Center in Norfolk, Virginia.

"The person spends time trying to figure out what the best sleeping pill is, which is completely wrong," Dr. Ware said.  "What you should spend time doing is trying to figure out why am I not sleeping?"

Dr. Ware says sleeping pills often lead to drowsiness during the day, therfore causing car crashes and other accidents.  Sleeping pills can have dangerous side effects, such as sleep-walking. People who take sleeping pills often become dependant on them and develop a resistance, and need more of the drug to achieve the same effect.

If you have difficulty sleeping there are many things you can do to improve your sleep without taking any medication.

Tips for Better Sleep

1. Stick to a schedule, and don't sleep late on weekends. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, seven days a week.

2. Don't eat or drink a lot before bedtime. Eat a light dinner about two hours before sleeping. If you drink too much liquid before sleeping, you'll wake up repeatedly in the night for trips to the bathroom.

3. Don't eat spicy or fatty foods. They can cause heartburn, which may interfere with your sleep.

4. Don't' drink alcohol near bedtime. It may cause you to wake up repeatedly, to snore, and it may exacerbate sleep apnea.

5. Avoid caffeine and nicotine. They're addictive stimulants and keep you awake. Caffeine should be avoided for eight hours before bedtime.

6. Exercise. A program of regular exercise, particularly in the afternoon will improve sleep quality.

7. A slightly cool room is ideal for sleeping. This mimics your internal temperature drop during sleep.

8. Sleep primarily at night. Daytime naps steal hours from nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep to less than one hour, no later than 3:00 P.M.

9. Keep it quiet. Turn off the radio and television. Use earplugs or a fan or some other source of constant, soothing background noise to mask sounds you can't control, such as a busy street, trains, airplanes or even a snoring spouse. Double pane windows and heavy curtains also muffle outside noise. Earplugs work well, too.

10. Bed Comfort. Make sure your bed is comfortable and offers orthopedic comfort. If you share your bed, make sure there's enough room for two people. Children and pets are often disruptive, so set limits on when they may sleep with you.

11. Warm bath or shower. Take a warm bath or shower just before bed to relax tense muscles.

12. Only sleep in bed. Eliminate anything from your bedroom that your mind associates with wakefulness. This means only sleep in bed. Don't watch t.v., pay the bills, talk on the phone, argue with your kids, etc. If you are having difficulty sleeping, either think of calming thoughts, or go into another room, write in a journal or problem-solve there until you are relaxed enough to return to your bed.

If you follow the above tips and still have difficulty sleeping, see your doctor. You may have a more serious sleep disorder, and your doctor may refer you to a sleep disorders center. There, experts can diagnose and treat conditions such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy.

Sleep apnea is when a person actually stops breathing in his or her sleep. A person who gasps or chokes in his or her sleep likely has sleep apnea and should talk to their doctor, as this is a serious condition that can be treated.

Narcolepsy is when a person falls asleep suddenly during the day, such as while driving. Again, this serious disorder can be treated.