Shannon Hill is feeling a bit sleep deprived these days. The 30-year-old publicist is restoring her first home, and that means she is up until 1 a.m. and wakes at 6:15 a.m. for work. One day, on her lunch break, she was so tired she sought out a couch and napped.

"When I'm tired, I can't keep my eye on the ball. I'm a driven person, but it's even starting to affect me physically. I tripped at work," says Hill, of Dover, N.H. "When I'm sluggish and tired, I can't focus."

American workers are hungry for sleep. A 2005 survey by the National Sleep Foundation, a Washington D.C., nonprofit that focuses on sleep and public health, found that 26 percent of adults get a good night's sleep only a few nights a month or less. Another 24 percent say they get a good night's sleep only a few nights a week.

Adults who say they don't get enough sleep are more likely to experience daytime sleepiness, miss work or make errors on the job.

That means many workers are groggy at their desks or on the factory floor. Research shows that drowsy workers are more likely to have accidents, that many suffer from sleep-related health problems, and that lack of sleep means they can feel unfulfilled on the job. Sleep deprivation can also be triggered by depression, anxiety and other mental health issues.

NAPPING POLICIES

Employers, such as Southington, Conn.-based manufacturer Yarde Metals, which has a Nap Room, are waking up to the fact that sleep deprivation can have a bottom-line impact.

At 10e20, a New York-based global search marketing and Web solutions company, President Chris Winfield makes sure employees are supplied with free Starbucks coffee and Red Bull energy drinks. "It's coffee in the morning and Red Bull in the afternoon," he says. "We have a lot of legs shaking, but the work gets done."

He says the combination is effective: "We don't have many missed deadlines."

At BNSF Railway, there is a napping policy for transportation employees. The company's operating rules describe the requirements and conditions for these naps, including the fact that they are not to exceed 45 minutes and that one employee on the crew must remain awake.

The policy is part of a fatigue-management program. BNSF also has an education program that includes the science behind sleep and fatigue and an overview of sleep disorders and fatigue countermeasures used to increase alertness. BNSF offers a variety of scheduling alternatives to increase the amount of time off for train crews.

SLEEP DEPRIVATION

Some fledgling businesses are cropping up to meet demand for some shut-eye: MetroNaps, which provides midday rest stations for the overworked and overtired, provides a blanket, headphones and a quiet pod where sleepy employees can lie back and get at least a 20-minute nap away from the office. They have two locations in New York; prices for a nap start at $14.

"What we provide is a clean and private facility that can be used by professionals," says Arshad Chowdhury, CEO and co-founder of MetroNaps, which has started franchising. "We have some (users) who sneak in and those who are sent by their employers. It gives them energy for the rest of the day."

Employees' sleep deprivation is getting worse in today's global, 24/7 workplace, as people often work late to meet overseas deadlines or cope with jet lag because of more international travel.

The share of people getting eight or more hours a night of sleep on weekdays dropped from 38 percent in 2001 to 26 percent in 2005, according to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation.

"Employees are companies' most important assets," e-mails Allison Schwartz, a life coach at Allium Coaching in Beverly Hills, Calif., who specializes in self-empowerment. "Sleep deprivation can negatively impact productivity, quality of work and, in the long run, lead to illness — all costs to employers. More and more employers are seeing how taking care of their employees leads to increased productivity and revenues in the long run."

WIDESPREAD IMPACT

While shift workers are the most prone to sleep problems, anyone can fall victim. Problems can develop because of sleep apnea, various disorders that cause sleep to be fragmented, leg-movement disorders and insomnia. The health effects include weight gain, feeling hungry, problems with glucose metabolism and a shorter life span.

"Lack of sleep affects the way you feel, perform and overall general health. You can have difficulties with memory, concentration and mood," says Lawrence Epstein, co-author of the soon-to-be-released "The Harvard Medical School Guide to a Good Night's Sleep" and medical director for Sleep HealthCenters in Boston. "People just don't give themselves the opportunity to sleep."

Robert Fayle, a neurologist and medical director of The Sleep Center at Park Plaza Hospital and Medical Center in Houston, recommends that employees try some steps to get better sleep, including getting up at the same time every day, avoiding alcohol and exercising regularly.

ComPsych, a Chicago-based employee assistance provider, provides on-site work seminars and individual phone conferencing on sleep problems.

"Lack of sleep is a huge problem for employers and employees," says Richard Chaifetz, CEO of ComPsych. "Employers understand that sleep is a huge part of living life in a healthy fashion. Employers are putting more programs in place."