Yet too many people ignore sleep as a critical component of overall health and well-being. Many think sleep problems can be ignored, or will go away, without realizing how they are negatively affecting their daily lives.

The public needs a wake up call. All of us need to pay attention to our sleep, and make it a priority in our lives, equal to a healthy diet and regular exercise. As a part of National Sleep Awareness Week®2005, NSF and reminds all Americans to "Sleep Well Tonight for a Better Tomorrow."

Specifically, The Public Needs To:

• Pay attention to the quantity and quality of your sleep, recognizing that a good night’s sleep is essential to good health.
• Visit NSF's website, www.sleepfoundation.org to learn about sleep and sleep disorders, and to access state-of-the-art self-assessment tools and quizzes that help identify symptoms of sleep problems, so that you can talk with your physician about sleep.
• Embrace healthy sleep habits, and help loved ones to do the same, recognizing that one family member's sleep problem can have a negative affect on the whole family.

And The Healthcare Community Needs To:

• Talk to patients about their sleep as part of an overall healthcare plan.
• Make sleep a patient care and public health priority.
• Recognize the relationship between sleep issues and other medical conditions.
• Integrate information about sleep and sleep medicine into medical training.