Editor's Note: Feeling fatigued?

Last month, I wrote about my struggle with trying to maintain healthy eating habits at work. (And while we’re on the subject, my thanks to those of you who wrote to me after reading the column – I really enjoyed my conversations with you.)

I shared my story to introduce the topic of worker wellness and talk about Safety+Health’s increased coverage of it. Included in that is fatigue. Fatigue is such a pervasive issue. The S+H editorial team writes about it not only for this magazine, but also when we put on our off-the-job safety hats and work on our sister publication, Family Safety & Health. (Brief plug: If you’d like more information about FS&H, visit http://sh-m.ag/2e6Q4B0.)

This month alone, sleepiness and fatigue are directly referenced in four news briefs as well as a safety tip. The tip, written by Assistant Editor Tracy Haas Depa, points out some of the things many of us routinely do that keep us from getting the recommended amount of sleep. I can relate: All too often in the evening I’ll read a news story online, then one or two things in the “related articles” section will catch my eye – and before I realize it, an hour of potential sleep time has been lost. I know only a few people who get (or try to get) eight hours a night, and one of them tells me she frequently gets teased for being in bed by 9.

So because most of us could use reminders of the role adequate sleep and other good habits play in our overall health and work performance, watch for continued coverage in S+H – including a feature article in 2017. We’ll be looking for safety pros who have their own story to share about what they or their employers are doing to help workers better manage sleepiness and fatigue. If you’re one of them, we’d love to hear from you.