Does it ever feel like getting enough sleep is impossible? Studies show that millions of Americans have insomnia, and that women are much more likely than men to suffer from long, sleepless nights. In fact, insomnia can have an effect on productivity and creativity at work, can drive up health care costs, and can even impact the quality of time spent with family and friends.

People who suffer from insomnia may choose to take medication, but may notice that they feel like they have not gotten an entire night’s sleep the next morning. Recent health care studies show that more than $100 billion is spent each year on medication: the cost of health care for accidents caused by “driving while drowsy,” however, has not yet been tallied.

More than 100,000 car accidents are attributed to sleepy drivers every year, and employers across America report that they spend more than $3,000 extra on health care for employees with long-term insomnia and other sleep disorders. Overall, the tally for insomnia is more than $150 billion every year: employees who miss work due to insomnia tally millions of “sick days” due to exhaustion and oversleeping each year.

In addition to medication, some insomniacs are turning to interior designers for a solution. State-of-the-art “blackout curtains and drapes” can help to provide insomniacs with an extremely dark, peaceful environment. Although about one-third of people with insomnia have a genetic predisposition to the disorder, investing in a combination of window blinds, window shades, and blackout curtains and drapes can have a positive impact on the quality of sleep they receive.

In addition to lowering the amount of light that enters a room, blackout curtains and drapes can also help lower heating and cooling costs. Taking care to limit exposure to artificial light — from televisions, cell phones, and tablets — for at least two hours prior to attempting to sleep can also help increase the quality of sleep. Surprisingly, more than half of all Americans over the age of 40 report having some degree of sleeplessness on a regular basis.

Is the cause stress? The problem of insomnia has yet to be solved, but curtain retailers can work with people with sleep disorders to create the perfect window treatment. Blackout curtains and drapes may also work well for people who work an overnight shift and find it hard to sleep during the day, as well as for younger children who are reluctant to nap or sleep at night. Curtains come in such a variety of sizes and colors, and of course, blackout liners can be installed behind existing window treatments. People looking for relief from insomnia may be surprised to find that a window expert may be able to assist them in creating the perfect sleeping environment.