My job is wearing me out, and I find I’m sometimes dozing off in the afternoon. Sometimes it’s job boredom but usually it’s just that I’m more tired because of the pressures and hassles. I certainly can’t take naps in the afternoon. Any suggestions?

You’re not alone with this problem. Earlier this year, the National Sleep Foundation's 2001 Sleep in America poll looked at the relationship between Americans' lifestyles, sleep habits and sleep problems. They found that most American adults (63%) don’t get the recommended eight hours of sleep needed for good health, safety, and optimum performance. In fact, nearly one-third (31%) report sleeping less than seven hours each week night, though many adults say they try to sleep more on weekends.

Workaholic Americans

More than one-third (38%) says they are working 50 hours or more a week. This has a direct effect on sleep: those who work more sleep less. They also experience more insomnia than those who spend fewer hours working.

A world that "never goes to sleep" offers many diverse activities -- even the possibility of working 24/7, but encourages unhealthy and sometimes antisocial lifestyles for America's adults. Instead of working to live, they are living to work, a shift that has had a profound impact on their personal lives. Adults report spending less time sleeping, engaged in social and leisure activities, and having sex than they did just five years ago. Most Americans say they suffer from sleep problems and when they go to sleep, many sleep alone — even if they are married.

The NSF poll found that one in five adults (22%) is so sleepy during the day it interferes with daily activities a few days a week or more. When they feel sleepy during the day, two-thirds of those surveyed (65%) say they are very likely to accept their sleepiness and keep going, apparently disregarding its effects.

Most Popular Bedtime Ritual-- Television!

The NSF pool revealed that television is the most popular bedtime ritual for America's adults with a vast majority (87%) spending the hour before bedtime glued to the tube at least a few nights a week. More than one-quarter of adults (28%) say TV helps them fall asleep.

If you’re one of those with TV as a bedtime ritual, let me suggest another option. Spending pre-bed time with something less stimulating might get you into the mood for a good night’s rest more easily. Try something different like listening to soft music; enjoying a relaxing bath; taking a long, leisurely walk; enjoying a low-key hobby like knitting or stamp-collecting; building models; reading light novels.

You may also want to check with your doctor, especially if you haven’t had a physical exam in several years. Bring up the topic of your sleepiness during the day and let the doctor help you sort out possible causes and treatment. (You may be surprised to learn that many doctors recommend a short nap at work when you feel tired. And a growing number of companies go along with this.)

In 1996, the Detroit News reported “daytime snoozing is an important part of 'full-spectrum fitness.' " Three years later it is starting to show. One Connecticut metals company actively encourages napping by its employees to “give them a break or a perk, a napping area where they can unwind." Some companies even allow employees to have a bed in their office.

One of the reasons for the changing attitudes towards sleeping at work (as opposed to sleeping on the job) is the growing recognition of the cost to business of sleep deficiency among employees. These costs include:

• increased errors and accidents

• increased absenteeism

• increased drug use

• increased turnover

• higher group insurance premiums

• decreased productivity

And here are some suggestions to keep you more awake on the job (assuming you’ve taken the earlier steps about preparing yourself better before bedtime to get a good night’s rest.):

1. Set goals for the day, and focus on meeting them

2. Vary your pace and the kind of work you’re doing as often as you can.

3. Pause frequently several times each hour to re-focus, rest, and decide if you

need even more changes in what you’re doing.

4. Wash your face and freshen up when you start to feel sleepy.

5. If you’re sitting most of the day, use breaks to walk around the building—

as briskly as possible.

6. Eat lightly at lunch, and get into a lunchtime exercise program. A half-hour

walk outside in fresh air can do wonders for your circulation and afternoon energy.

7. Phone internal or external customers frequently to check on how you’re doing. (If you spend a lot of time on the phone during the day, maybe an

e-mail message would be a change of pace.

8. Get a self-motivation booklet and follow the suggestions daily.

9. Try going to sleep earlier at night, and taking naps on the weekend.

10. Make a permanent commitment to start getting enough sleep each night. Set up daily sleep patterns and stick to them. You’ll learn to fall asleep more easily when this becomes a habit.