The Sleep Forum and World Sleep Society have come together to produce TEN podcasts about sleep as we countdown to World Sleep Day on March 13, 2010. In this kickoff podcast, Ruth Marion, Editor of The Sleep Forum and Allan O'Bryan, Executive Director of The Sleep Society speak with Nancy Rothstein, The Sleep Ambassador® and Director of Sleep Health at Resonea. O'Bryan explains to our listeners that "world sleep society is a non-profit, membership based organization representing sleep researchers and clinicians around the world focusing on awareness and education. We use World Sleep Day as opportunity for our membership reach out to the public and highlight the importance of sleep." Rothstein congratulates The Sleep Forum and World Sleep Society for doing a stellar job at raising awareness about the importance of sleep and bringing sleep education to the masses. Rothstein commented how she loved the World Sleep Day tagline - designated to raise awareness of sleep as a human privilege that is often compromised by the habits of modern life" and adds, "our biology hasn't changed, our behaviors have." When asked what motivated Rothstein to become so passionate about sleep, she replied "a snoring ex-spouse deserves all the credit." She was in the corporate world when she realized that sleep is actually a risk management issue. Researchers now know that how you sleep at home or on the road greatly impacts how you function at work, not to mention health care costs. "Companies are finally waking up to the importance of sleep and realizing the huge return on investment they will receive, says Rothstein. A well rested employee is an asset and a sleep deprived employee is a liability." You can read more about this topic in her paper The ROI of A Good Night's Sleep - Making a business case for bedtime. The good news is that good sleep is possible. It comes down to behavior modification and building new habits. It doesn't matter what sleep tracker you use, it matters what you do with that information. Also, Rothstein says, "it all comes down to how you feel in the morning. The best sleep technology is inside you." O'Bryan emphasizes that "getting 7 - 8 hours of sleep a night is one of the best thing you can do for your health. Sleep is as important as exercise and nutrition." O'Bryan explains that duration, depth and continuality are the three measures of quality sleep, according to World Sleep Society. Rothstein touched on the importance of consistency. Our body clock loves consistency. When we go against our natural body clocks, we are in trouble. Jet lag, according to Rothstein, "puts a glitch in your circadian rhythm which throws us off balance." Rothstein reminds us that "corporations can outsource sleep education and training for employees, but no one can sleep for you but you." Also, Rothstein adds, "no matter how great your sleep hygiene is, you might still not be getting proper sleep because of a sleep disorder. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones to do something about that and seek out a sleep doctor." We ended the podcast with a discussion on the need for more corporations to come up with policies and procedures as they relate to sleep as part of their wellness offerings to employees. O'Bryan reminds our listeners to click here to view top ten tips for adults and children to get good sleep hygiene as recommen...