A 2002 poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation suggests that "people understand the connection between their sleep habits and how they feel, how they treat others, and, in general, how they live their lives. But, while they get the message, they don’t always act on it. Too many people try to ‘get by’ on less sleep than they acknowledge they need," said NSF’s Executive Director, Richard Gelula10.

There are many daytime consequences of a bad night’s sleep, some more apparent than others. The National Sleep Foundation says many people may not be aware of symptoms that can signal inadequate sleep. These include:

• Dozing off while engaged in an activity such as reading, watching TV, sitting in meetings or sitting in traffic.
• Slowed thinking or reacting.
• Difficulty listening to what is said or understanding directions.
• Difficulty remembering or retaining information.

• Frequent errors or mistakes.
• Narrowing of attention, missing important changes in a situation.
• Poor judgment in complex situations
• Difficulty coming up with a new approach to a problem when the old approach is not working.
• Depression or bad moods.
• Impatience or being quick-tempered.
• Frequent blinking, difficulty focusing eyes or heavy eyelids.

Any of these problems experienced on a regular basis may be related to an individual’s sleep habits and should be discussed with a doctor or other health care provider. However, self-management is an important first step and you should consider keeping a sleep diary to record your sleep patterns and seeing a doctor if you don’t see any improvements after trying to maintain consistent sleep patterns.

Tossing and turning is a sleep disrupter. Make sure you have a mattress set that provides proper support and the right comfort so you minimize tossing and turning, allowing you to get a good night’s sleep through the night.

10 National Sleep Foundation web site; www.sleepfoundation.org