Sleep experts have cracked the mathematical formula for a good night's sleep in a bid to halt the sleepless epidemic - and there's bad news for email addicts.

According to the Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts' research, checking emails before you go to bed has the equivalent effect on the body of drinking a double espresso. 

And, in an increasingly demanding working world, Britains are losing one night's sleep a week to this sleep-deprivation epidemic.

Fuelled by spiralling use of PDAs, mobiles, laptops and Blackberries, business travellers are potentially robbing themselves of a good night's sleep by failing to switch off gadgets early enough before going to bed.

Light from a mobile phone or laptop is intense enough to halt production of sleep-enhancing melatonin and experts are warning workers to switch off at least an hour before light's out.

To help guests enjoy a refreshing night's sleep, Crowne Plaza has teamed up with top sleep expert Dr Chris Idzikowski, of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre, who has trawled through existing research to identify the top five factors for a good night's sleep - and the five things most likely to keep us awake at night.

"Checking your work e-mails before bed on any electronic device is essentially the equivalent to drinking a double espresso last thing at night.  Research has shown that light from a laptop or Blackberry is concentrated enough to signal your brain to stop production of melatonin, a natural hormone known to aid sleep disturbances.  Being in a relaxed environment and incorporating essential wind-down time into your day is your best chance of securing a great night's sleep - along with silence, darkness and comfort," said Dr Chris Idzikowski.

"The temptation to check emails late at night is potentially jeopardising business travellers' chances of securing a good night's sleep, something Crowne Plaza is committed to ensuring guests enjoy when they stay with us to enable them to be as productive as possible in their everyday lives," said vice-president, Commercial, IHG, Middle East and Africa, Tom Rowntree.

Crowne Plaza rooms all feature full black-out blinds or shutters, temperature control and sound-insulated rooms. Guests can also set the lighting to allow them to begin mentally unwinding from work the moment they set foot inside. - TradeArabia News Service