Motivating your employees
INTRODUCTION
I. Did you realize that about 120 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders? A 20014 National Sleep
Foundation poll found that 74% of American adults are experiencing sleep problems with 39% of adults
getting less than seven hours sleep per night.
II. I’ve had sleepless nights before and it sure makes for a long, exhausting day following too many of
these.
III. Humans need an adequate amount of sleep and sleep disorders are robbing many of us of this valuable
resource.
IV. We must first recognize individual sleep needs and common disorders, such as narcolepsy, apnea,
restless legs syndrome, and insomnia, to choose the most useful techniques to overcome sleepless
nights.
BODY
I. According to SleepNet.com, let’s first look at the needed amount of sleep according to age. (Slide 1:
Sleep Needs Over the Life Cycle)
A. Infants up to 18 months need anywhere from 14-15 hours of sleep a day, but it’s not uncommon for
a newborn to sleep up to 18 hours a day.
B. Children from 2 to 5 years old need from 11-13 hours of sleep.
C. Children from 5 to 12 years old need from 9-11 hours of sleep.
D. Adolescents need from 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep.
E. Adults need an average of 7-9 hours of sleep.
II. The most common sleep disorders hindering your ideal 8-hour nights are identified by the National
Sleep Foundation.
A. (Slide 2) Narcolepsy is defined as a condition caused by the brain’s inability to regulate normal
sleep-wake cycles.
1. Excessive daytime sleepiness is a common symptom.
2. An individual may also experience sudden, uncontrollable attacks of deep sleep.
3. These daytime attacks then interfere with restful nighttime sleep.
B. (Slide 3) Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during
sleep.
1. The muscles at the back of the throat fail to stay open limiting oxygen intake.
2. These pauses may occur up to 30 times per hour
3. This condition is often accompanied by snoring.
C. (Slide 4) Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is characterized by a creeping, crawling or tugging
sensation which occurs deep within the legs.
1. The sufferer is compelled to move his or her legs to achieve relief.
2. The symptoms occur most frequently during the late evening or night.
D. (Slide 5) Insomnia can be defined as the inability to fall asleep or stay asleep.
1. 30-40% of adults suffer from occasional insomnia whereas 10-15% of adults suffer from chronic
insomnia – lasting months or even years at a stretch.
2. Stress is a major culprit of insomnia.
3. Older adults and women suffer more frequently than others.
III. You may be experiencing one or several of these sleep disorder symptoms, but there is relief in sight
(Slide 6).
2
A. First, educate yourself by researching your symptoms within SleepNet.com and
SleepFoundation.org.
1. There are easy to understand descriptions and listing of symptoms are provided as well as
numerous links to other valuable websites.
2. Try to adapt the “Tips for Healthy Sleep” provided by SleepNet.com to determine if a simple
solution is available to you.
B. If you cannot find relief on your own, contact you healthcare provider to schedule an appointment to
discuss your symptoms and treatment options.
C. You or your doctor may consider the medical treatment options presented within the National Sleep
Foundation website.
1. Behavioral therapy may be all that is needed in mild cases of sleep disorder.
2. Physical therapy may be needed in more severe cases.
3. Medications are available, but are not the most frequently recommended.
4. Oxygen administration may benefit sleep apnea patients but, it is not a cure.
5. And lastly, surgery can be used to correct some physical complications.
CONCLUSION
I. Now you better understand basic sleep needs, the common sleep disorders of narcolepsy, apnea, restless
legs syndrome and insomnia, but you’re also more familiar with available treatments to manage the
symptoms.
II. So with a little extra effort, you don’t have
