A visit to your family physician is a good way to start your investigation regarding sleepiness. He/she can thoroughly investigate all possible medical causes, and make recommendations.

Other things you might try are:

• Look at your sleep habits. Are you consistently getting the 7–9 hours of uninterrupted sleep that most of us require? Getting enough sleep at night is essential to prevent daytime sleepiness.

• Consider beginning an exercise program. The serotonin released by exercise elevates mood and energy.

• Assess your diet. A diet comprised mostly of refined sugars and fats is a prescription for sleepiness. Instead, be sure to include protein and plenty of complex carbohydrates in your diet for energy.

• Your environment plays a large part in determining your level of fatigue. A drab environment in a dark room coupled with a repetitious job, is a sure recipe for sleepiness. Assess your environment. Open shades and windows for plenty of natural light and fresh air. Turn on lights, and do all you can to make your environment stimulating. Use bright pictures, green plants, music, and anything else that you may find interesting.

• Determine when sleepiness occurs most often. Keep a diary of occurrences for a week to see if a pattern is found. Plan your work-load so tasks such as reading or decision making do not occur when energy is at its lowest.

• Plan breaks mid-morning and mid-afternoon. Walk outdoors or stretch to renew energy and concentration.

• Finally, establish positive relationships with co-workers. Friendships energize the workplace, fostering personal satisfaction as well as contrib-uting to increased productivity.

Try any or all of the tips above to elevate your energy and boost your job performance. The time spent at work will fly by!