Toyah wants to be asleep

Updated 10.55 Fri Apr 11 2008

Keywords: insomnia, sleep, ITV1, actress, Toyah Willcox

Singer and actress Toyah Willcox will examine the problem of insomnia in Britain in a programme called How Do You Sleep?

Willcox reveals in the programme - which is aired on ITV1 - how she has not had a full night's sleep in 36 years.

Willcox reveals that she has not had a full night's sleep in 36 years

In the programme, the singer keeps her own video diary of her restless nights, what the causes could be and how she functions on just a few hours of sleep each day.

As part of the investigation, Virgin Media did an experiment allowing call centre workers to nap at work in a specially created pod which lulls the participant asleep with music and then gently vibrates them awake after 20-30 minutes.

Willcox, who also tests the pod, says: "I managed to fall asleep.That was really interesting because I resisted it to begin with. This is the first time I have been forced to have a nap in a custom-designed pod."

Virgin Media took part in the three-week experiment in its call centre in Manchester, to help staff beat the post-lunch dip and be more alert and focused.

Staff were allocated a regular time slot each day to have their nap - and 99 per cent of them said that the sleep left them feeling refreshed, more productive in their work and also improved their personal life because they had more energy later in the day.

Only one participant couldn't fall asleep and Virgin Media is continuing trialling the device.