It’s time to stop suffering and start sleeping…

Nodding off at your desk? Trouble focusing on your fav TV show? Face it, you’ve got a case of D.E.S.(Droopy Eye Syndrome). You tell yourself you’ll catch up on the weekend, on vacation, when we switch over to daylight savings time… but you know you won’t.

A sleep study from Michigan State University stated that just 40 minutes less sleep a night contributes to a more than 60% increase in workdays lost to injuries. Trucking companies and airlines restrict the amount of hours an employee can drive or fly because fatalities involved sleep deprived drivers is so well documented.

It’s time to get serious about sleep deprivation – and for some, insomnia. How you escape the nightmare of insomnia isn’t an easy answer – and it’s different for every person. There may be a medical reason or it might be lifestyle or stress.

If you’re struggling with insomnia, get help from a doctor, naturopath or counsellor. If stress is the culptrit, make a list of your fears and worries. Just like you can’t control the weather, most of what we worry about is beyond our control. A professional can help you sift through the issues though and get back on the right sleep track.

Now take a closer look at your bedroom and your night time habits. Watching TV before going to sleep or checking email is like a shot of espresso right before bed. Reserve the bedroom for time with your significant other and quiet activities such as reading.

Examine what you’re sleeping on. If your mattress is more than 10 years old and your pillows more than 2 years old, an allergic reaction could be keeping you up.

It’s no secret that dust mites and other allergens thrive in dark moist environments. Mattresses and pillows made from synthetic materials hold onto moisture, instead of releasing it like wool and latex. Some alarming studies suggest that synthetic bedding actually increases in weight over time because of the fecal matter of those microscopic organisms.

Don’t go quietly through your day with D.E.S. Take back the night!