Ella Walker has tried everything to get a good night's rest.

She bought a new pillow-top bed, stopped drinking Coke and booted the TV from the bedroom. She eventually dabbled in sleeping pills.

Chris Hunt / AJC (ENLARGE)

With an estimated 70 million Americans suffering from insomnia, sleepy-eyed adults try everything from pills, acupuncture to hot chocolate, green tea, herbs and counting sheep.

Allen Sullivan / AJC (ENLARGE)

Sleep technician Reuben James prepares Ella Walker for monitoring at the Sleep Disorders Center at DeKalb Medical Center. Even though she's exhausted, Walker only manages to sleep two or three hours a night.

Allen Sullivan / AJC (ENLARGE)

Ella Walker reads a magazine before retiring at the Sleep Disorders Center at DeKalb Medical Center in Decatur.

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Nothing offered respite.

Over the past year, the bleary-eyed woman in her 50s hasn't be able to break a vicious sleep cycle that forced her to get by on just two or three hours of sleep a night.

Toting a toothbrush and Ebony magazine, Walker recently checked herself into a sleep lab at DeKalb Medical Center, desperate for answers, treatment and, above everything else, some zzzs.

"I'll do anything," she said, eyes droopy and barely awake. "I just want my sleep to be resolved so badly."

After slipping into purple flannel pajamas, she lumbered into Room 4 at the lab.

The room looks very much like a hotel room (without the TV), featuring a queen-size bed, fluffy pillows, temperature controls, khaki walls and stack of magazines — all designed to induce sleep. Walker, with almost 20 wires attached to her, crawled into bed and fell asleep.

The sleep didn't last long.

Walker is one of the estimated 50 million to 70 million Americans suffering from a sleep disorder — a condition making Americans not just drowsy but also fatigued, irked and anxious.

Experts blame a mix of on-the-go lifestyles and bad habits — Starbucks Ventis, late-night snacks and late-night TV — for growing sleep woes.

And when it's time for bed, doctors say bodies don't always shut down when we turn off the lights.

Insomnia is often linked to depression, fatigue and poor eating habits, and doctors say too many people shirk sleep as some kind of luxury instead of an essential activity.

"We have a 'too-many-balls-in-the-air' lifestyle" said Dr. Michael Lacey, director of the Northside Hospital Sleep Disorder Center.

"People try to get by on five hours of sleep when they really need six or seven. And then people try to make it up on the weekend, and it doesn't work that way. And what you have is people not performing up to par."

Dr. Joseph Weissman, a neurologist at DeKalb Medical Center, said the personality characteristics of insomniacs sometimes serve a person well at work but don't translate well in bed.

"It may be helpful at work to be a bit obsessive," said Weissman. "But then they may be hyper alert and their mind is abuzz with too many things, and then they obsess about not sleeping."

It's normal for people to occasionally have trouble sleeping. Big stresses like a divorce or losing a job can interfere with anyone's sleep.

But while most people snap back into regular, continuous sleep, others struggle. Doctors say a pattern of not being able to sleep three or more days a week requires a visit to the doctor.

So just how much sleep does someone need?

On average, people need about 7 1/2 hours of sleep to feel refreshed. For some, five hours. Others don't feel right unless they get nine hours of sleep, according to doctors.

The best way to induce sleep is to establish a good routine that doctors call "good sleep hygiene," which includes several variables from a comfy bed to a one-hour "wind-down period."

During this wind-down period, doctors suggest soothing activities such as reading or listening to classical music. And your bed, they say, should be used for sleep and sex — not for writing bills or hashing out a work proposal.

If you do find yourself tossing and turning, avoid turning on the TV or flicking on the computer because they are actually stimulating.

"I read mathematics books; that works for me," said Weissman.

Many doctors also frown upon the use of medication to induce slumber and say it often masks underlying problems such as depression or another health issue such as a heart condition or sleep apnea.

Lacey said most people with sleep troubles try to fix the problem by self-medicating with over-the-counter sleep aids or alcohol. But it's a dangerous cycle, he warns.

"Most of these medications are not very well-suited for the problem because they stay in the system too long and make you feel groggy. You are bludgeoning yourself to sleep, and this is not to anyone's long-term health interest," said Lacey. "It needs to be delved into and see what's behind it."

In many cases, patients battling for sleep suffer from sleep apnea, depression or anxiety — all of which typically need medical or psychological intervention.

Back at the sleep lab at DeKalb Medical, Walker is undergoing a sleep study known as a polysomnogram, tracking her eye movement, air flow and brain activity.

After four hours of sleep, she jolts awake and can't slip back into sleep.

She's at her wit's end, increasingly frustrated with every toss and turn.

Working has become increasingly difficult, and she finds herself sometimes napping in her car. And even though her body is overwhelmed by exhaustion, she still finds herself up worrying at night about everything from what to make her mom for breakfast the next morning to meeting a deadline at work.

Valerie Reid, director of DeKalb's sleep lab, later said Walker suffers from sleep apnea.

Walker is glad to know the reason behind her insomnia, and she's looking forward to weighing the treatment options.

Above everything, she's looking forward to a refreshing night's sleep.

SLEEPING PILLS

A look at common prescription sleeping pills:

Sonata, made by Wyeth-Ayerst

How it works: Affects chemicals in the brain that can bring on sleep. Works quickly and lasts for a few hours. For people who wake up after a few hours of sleep.

Side effects: Can cause daytime drowsiness, memory problems and make you feel hung over in the morning.

Cautions: If taken more than two weeks, don't stop abruptly, because you may experience rebound insomnia. Don't drink alcohol when taking the drug.

Ambien, made by Sanofi-Aventis

How it works: Affects chemicals in the brain that can bring on sleep. Works quickly and lasts a few hours. For people who have trouble fallling asleep.

Side effects: Can cause daytime drowsiness, memory problems and make you feel hung over in the morning.

Cautions: Must be ready for bed when medicine is taken. If taken more than two weeks, don't stop abruptly, because you may experience rebound insomnia. Don't drink alcohol when taking the drug.

Lunesta, made by Sepracor

How it works: Affects chemicals in the brain that can bring on sleep. Longer lasting with an effect of seven hours.

Side effects: Can cause daytime drowsiness, memory problems and make you feel hung over in the morning.

Cautions: Only take if you can devote six to seven hours to sleeping. Don't drink alcohol when taking the drug. For people who have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.

Source: Dr. Michael Lacey, director, Northside Hospital Sleep Disorder Center.

SLEEP APNEA

A common disorder when a person has one or more pauses of breathing while sleeping.

It's often caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses during sleep. Treatment often includes a change in lifestyle, surgery and special dental devices that help keep air passages open during sleep. Doctors are seeing this condition more frequently because sleep apnea is often linked to being overweight and obesity is on the rise.