I just received this press release for a SLEEP promotion, and as I'm a huge fan of sleep, I thought I'd pass it along. I really do value sleep and thought that this constituted a good enough reason for me to take a nap. Work keeps me up to late, and the kids wake me up far too early. If you're like me and just need a great excuse to get some extra Zzzz, read on, grow inspired, and then conk out. Maybe you can even participate and win yourself a fancy bed!

--SUMMER IS FOR SLEEPING? EXHAUSTED AMERICANS CHALLENGED TO SLEEP-IN ON LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR!

Sleep Number by Select Comfort® Kicks-Off Sleep-in Challenge on First Day of Summer to Help Combat Mortality Causing Illnesses - (June 5, 2008) –Just one more hour of sleep each day can help extend your life by reducing mortality causing illnesses including obesity, Type 2 diabetes, respiratory disorders and high blood pressure, according to new researchSo, instead of packing more activities into your day, the sleep experts at Select Comfort (NASDAQ: SCSS), the nation's leading bed retailer and maker of the Sleep Number bed, challenge Americans to adopt better sleep habits by signing a pledge here to sleep one more hour each day beginning June 20, the first day of summer and the "longest" day of the year. All those who pledge are entered to win a free Sleep Number bed and sent valuable sleep and lifestyle tips to help them achieve deeper, restorative sleep to improve physical and mental health and performance, which might extend their life and increase their bedtime comfort.

The Sleep-in Challenge is meant to help people start thinking about a better sleep routine. Just as people pay more attention to their diet and exercise, yard work and social lives during the summer, sleep is an often overlooked necessity with significant long-term health effects on a person's life," said Select Comfort Sleep Expert, Pete Bils.

Other experts agree. The National Sleep Foundation reports almost half the population is not getting enough sleep. For people regularly getting fewer than seven hours of sleep, gaining just one more hour per day of sleep can show significant results.

Potential consequences for people who sleep fewer than seven hours per night (short-sleepers):

Children and adults have a 60 to 80 percent increase in obesity.

Mid-life adults are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

Mortality rates increase in men and women.

People suffer a cognitive deficit, impairing their motor functions, affecting their reaction time and work productivity Additional benefits of seven to eight hours of sleep per night:

One more hour of sleep could lower the average adult body weight by 2.2 to 6.6 pounds

Primary beauty benefits are a more youthful look, finer quality skin and smoother complexion, according to Shalini Vadhera, internationally recognized celebrity makeup artist, and Sleep Number Quality of Life Advisory Board member

Comfort levels are increased, which results in decreased feelings of pain

More sleep research studies are available at www.selectcomfort.com/sleep_research. As an added benefit, Select Comfort is also giving away a Sleep Number bed, complete with mattress and foundation, each night of summer through September 3. Consumers are invited to register online for the chance to win by visiting http://www.selectcomfort.com/special_offers.