I had a sleep study done, which pointed to no big sleep issues such as sleep apnea. Further tests showed that I had a low ferritin (normal iron and hemoglobin), which was causing restless legs in the evening and the inability to fall asleep within a normal time frame. My sleep hygiene was poor as well, so I read several books and many articles on establishing good sleep habits. I followed the common guidance, took iron to raise my ferritin, and over time my sleep improved. I'm still very interested in sleep research and read up on it.

From the For What It's Worth Department, my low ferritin appeared to be caused by too-frequent blood donations. For some people, even though iron levels and hemoglobin are normal, ferritin can decrease with regular blood donations. The FDA allows donations every 8 weeks. I stopped donating for awhile, then gave less frequently, and now after 50 years donating blood, have stopped entirely.

The bottom line: Good sleep has had positive effects on my mood, my energy, my nutrition---you get the picture. I take sleep seriously and the results have been wonderful. I'm a lucky fellow!