Former Northamptonshire nurse says treating sleep disorders will save the economy 34 billion pounds

Kerry Davies is a sleep practitioner with over ten years experience helping adults and children to deal with their sleep issues including CID (Chronic Insomnia Disorder). She says around 40% of people in the UK suffer from sleep disorders, a figure which has grown from 25% in the last 13 years. "Sleep disorder isn't being talked about and it is fast becoming an epidemic. The impact this has on a person is incredible. A lack of sleep will affect every single part of their life including their relationships, their work, their mental health, their parenting and their safety. A lack of sleep can actually mirror the symptoms of excessive drinking. You would never turn up to work drunk but many of us turn up to work after having had poor sleep.”

The RAND Europe research found that the amount of working days lost to CID overall costs the UK GDP 1.31% in lost productivity per year. Kerry says “I work with some very forward thinking companies who are tackling these issues amongst their staff head on. One company refers staff members to me who are struggling with their sleep. I work with them in online sessions to change their sleep patterns. The staff members I have been working with have all reported better sleep, better productivity and better mental health.”

Speaking to Health and Safety practitioner in April 2023, Kevin Bampton, CEO of the British Occupational Hygiene Society, said: “Ensuring the health of our workforce is fundamental to building economic growth, and the RAND findings highlight what a critical impact sleep conditions like chronic insomnia disorder can have on this. Recent years have shown the difference employers can make to protecting the health of their workforce by implementing preventative measures. Elevating the importance of sleep health and supporting employees to achieve the restorative sleep they need not only supports the health of workers, but has the potential to improve productivity, to the benefit of all.”

Kerry worked as a nurse for many years and says that 1 out of 5 people who have sleep issues do access the GP for help. However, GP's are not always trained in sleep issues and often refer their patients to practitioners such as Kerry. "Raising awareness of what poor sleep can do and how much it is affecting the economy is at the heart of everything I do. People should be able to access help. Why aren’t the government doing something about it when it is relatively easy to address and will save the economy money as well as help people’s mental stability."

Kerry became a sleep practitioner and started her business The Sleep Fixer after realising the impact of CID on people when she was a nurse. “I started Sleep Fixer because I wanted to create an affordable service for families and individuals. Everyone should be able to access help."