Kids, Don't Try This In The Cockpit

Don't you just hate those nights when, in a strange hotel surrounded by the noises of a strange city, you simply can't get to sleep? Never mind that you've flown 400 miles in hard-core IMC for a morning meeting, upon which your job may well depend.

Never mind that the dog got into the trash before you left, greeting you with a snoot-full of tuna fish and baked beans as you finished packing your bag. Never mind that the FAA ramp representative wanted to have a "chat" with you as you pre-flighted your aircraft. You can't sleep. And the more you stay awake, the more you worry about staying awake. Besides, you're flying again tomorrow. No Tylenol PM for you.

Getting a good night's sleep is a challenge travelers face quite a bit - especially on cross-country or overseas flight. Sealy - the mattress people - have apparently been thinking about this a lot lately. The company's sleep wellness spokesperson will go on tour this spring to talk about getting decent rest away from home.

Dr. Dot Richardson, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and medical director of the USA Triathlon National Training Center in Clermont (FL), was recently interviewed on the importance of getting a good night's sleep away from home. Her radio interview will air on all US Airways flights in May and June and on all Northwest Airlines flights in May.

Tips For Sleepy Travelers

In the interview Dr. Richardson, who is also the Vice Chairman of The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, tells travelers:

Quality sleep is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Sleep impacts the ability to handle a full day's worth of activities People need a bed that makes them feel comfortable and gives them support so they can fall asleep faster and get deep, restorative sleep in order to feel good the next morning and be more productive.

"We are happy that Dr. Richardson is addressing the importance of getting a good night's sleep away from home," said Dave McIlquham, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sealy, Inc. "Sealy is committed to giving travelers the same restful sleep in a hotel that they have come to expect from a Sealy mattress in their home. To accomplish this, Sealy employs the same state-of-the-art technology to hospitality bedding found in all Sealy products. We work closely with leading hotel chains such as Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Le Meridien, Sheraton, and Hyatt to design mattresses that meet their specific needs and provide exceptional comfort and support using our patented designs."

FMI: www.sealy.com