Each year the National Sleep Foundation, in its annual poll of Americans, finds similar disturbing results: Too many people are living their lives in a sleep fog. A majority of Americans report not getting the recommended eight hours of sleep every night, and more than two-thirds of respondents say they experience frequent sleep problems. The challenge is to encourage individuals to talk about their sleep patterns.

Remember to tell your doctor about any sleep problems you are experiencing. This is the first step to better sleep. Excessive daytime sleepiness is not a “normal” way to live. At a minimum, providing the following information can help your doctor:

• Do you have trouble falling asleep, frequently awake during the night and/or wake early each morning (e.g., 4:00 a.m.)? If yes, how many times per week?
• Are you frequently drowsy while driving or when trying to concentrate?
• Has anyone ever told you that you gasp for breath or stop breathing during sleep?

10 Steps to Better Sleep

1. Get out of bed at the same time every morning, even on days off work.

2. Try to go to bed at the same time every night.

3. If you cannot fall asleep within 20 minutes, or stay asleep, get out of bed. Do a quiet activity outside of the bedroom. Go back to bed when you feel drowsy. Repeat this process if you do not fall asleep within 20 -30 minutes

4. Use your bedroom only for sleep and sexual relations.

5. Avoid napping during the daytime, unless instructed by your physician.

6. Minimize light, noise and extremes in temperature in the bedroom.

7. Do not exercise within three hours of bedtime.

8. Do not drink caffeine after noon.

9. Do not drink alcohol within four to six hours of bedtime.

10. Stop smoking.

Resource:

Hauri, Peter, Linde, Shirley, and Westbrook, Philip. No More Sleepless Nights. John Wiley & Sons, July 1996.

Sleep for Success

Sleep for Success is the message for this year’s National Sleep Awareness Week, April 1-7. This annual event is sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation to raise awareness about the importance of regular sleep and the need to address sleep disorders. The results of the NSF’s annual poll will be released on Tuesday, April 2. To view the results of last year’s poll, go to the National Sleep Foundation (www.sleepfoundation.org). Click on NSF Poll Results then Sleep in America.

Advance results of the poll (conducted in October-November 2001) indicate that a significant number of people have had sleep problems since September 11. A total of 47% of those responding to the national survey rated their sleep in the few nights following September 11 as "fair" or "poor". National Sleep Foundation President James K. Walsch said, "What the country has been going through is not your every day stressor." That stress, he said, has "pushed us over the sleep disturbance threshold." The advance results of the poll are located under Sleep in America, then Sleep Since 9/11.

For more information on sleep and sleep disorders, check out the National Sleep Foundation's Web Site at www.sleepfoundation.org