Kara Norris and David Hillman Wake up to Sleep Awareness Week Interview

Forty Winks, Australia's bedroom retail specialist has partnered with Sleep Health Foundation to put an end to restless nights, urging Australians to assess their sleep habits in the wake of Sleep Awareness Week. The inaugural community campaign will run from Monday 29 September – Sunday 5 October, one week before we turn the clocks back for daylight savings to raise the alarm on the importance of sleep as a fundamental pillar of good health. Newspoll findings from a recent survey commissioned by Forty Winks revealed that work or family stress is the number one reason why we're not getting enough shut eye, closely followed by being unable to unwind. Only one in 10 Australians always feel rested and relaxed, highlighting a significant national sleep debt.

Prof David Hillman, Chair, Sleep Health Foundation said: 'Sleep is essential and a lack of sleep can have a major impact on mood, concentration, memory and quality of life. While different people need different amounts of sleep, on average adults require eight hours each night, teenagers nine hours and primary school children need ten hours."

How do your sleep habits fare? Rate your sleeping habits during Sleep Awareness Week to get instant personalised tips for a better night's sleep - visit www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au.

Forty Winks' top five tips to help you catch enough bedtime ZZZ's:

1. Use the hour before bed to unwind and relax before your head hits the pillow - try taking a warm bath, listening to quiet music or reading
2. Literally switch off and remove distracting devices in the bedroom such as the television, computer and phone
3. Create a relaxing, dark and cool sleeping environment
4. Establish a sleep routine and try to stick to it
5. Comfort is key - make sure you're happy with your mattress, bedding and pillows

Forty Winks is a proud supporter of the Sleep Health Foundation, and a key sponsor of Sleep Awareness Week 2014.

Interview with Kara Norris, Group Manager Product and Marketing at Forty Winks

Question: What do you hope to achieve during Sleep Awareness Week?

Kara Norris: Forty Winks has partnered with Sleep Health Foundation to put an end to restless nights, urging Australians to assess their sleep habits during Sleep Awareness Week. People tend to focus on healthy eating and exercise, forgetting that rest is a key ingredient of total wellbeing so we want to raise the alarm on the importance of sleep as a fundamental pillar of good health.

Newspoll findings from a recent survey commissioned by Forty Winks revealed that work or family stress is the number one reason why we're not getting enough shut eye, closely followed by being unable to unwind. Only one in 10 Australians always feel rested and relaxed, highlighting a significant national sleep debt that needs to be addressed.

Question: Do you have any de-stress tips to do, just before bed?

Kara Norris: There are a number of ways to de-stress before bed; use the hour before bed to unwind and relax before your head hits the pillow, literally switch off and remove distracting devices in the bedroom, create a relaxing and cool sleeping environment and remember that comfort is key - make sure you're happy with your mattress, bedding and pillows.


Question: How important is our mattress and bedding to our sleep?

Kara Norris: The bedroom is a place to rest and unwind and a good night's sleep is crucial to total wellbeing. A comfortable mattress and bedroom setting is an essential ingredient to sleeping restfully, but getting it right can be an overwhelming and difficult task.

A number of factors affect how long your mattress will continue to provide optimum comfort and support, and the lifespan will vary considerably depending on its quality, its frequency of use, the wear and tear it receives and how well it's been cared for. As a general rule, a good quality mattress should be expected to last around 7-10 years. Be sure to do plenty of research to know the different options available and always head in-store to talk to a bedding expert before making the final purchase.


Question: Why was it important for Forty Winks to partner with the Sleep Health Foundation?

Kara Norris: We are in the business of bringing Australians a better night's rest, so Forty Winks has partnered with the Sleep Health Foundation to raise the alarm on the importance of sleep as a fundamental pillar of good health, and to urge Australians to assess their sleep habits.

Interview with Prof David Hillman, Chair, Sleep Health Foundation

Question: How many hours sleep do we need a night?

Prof David Hillman: While different people need different amounts of sleep, on average adults require eight hours each night, teenagers nine hours and primary school children need ten hour.

Question: Does this differ as we age?

Prof David Hillman: Once we reach our early 20s our sleep need stabilises and doesn't change much for the rest of our lives, as long as we remain healthy. Older people tend to sleep less soundly and so tend to spend more time in bed for the same amount of sleep.


Question: How does our social media and mobile phone behaviour affect our sleep?

Prof David Hillman: Social media and mobile phones can be a problem if used at the expense of sleep. Firstly, they occupy time better spent asleep. Secondly the content can be stimulating or alarming making it harder to relax in preparation for sleep. Thirdly, bright computer or phone screens suppress melatonin, a hormone that is important in our normal sleep-wake cycle


Interview by Brooke Hunter