Recent survey results show that more than 50 per cent of people don't get enough sleep.

With creepy crawlies invading your bed and old pillows harbouring nasty bacteria and micro-organisms, microbiologist Dr Heike Kemp believes it's time for a wake up call.

“A third of the weight for example can be full of dust mite faeces. An old pillow will accumulate dust mites, micro-organisms and mainly mould,” Dr Kemp said.

• While you were sleeping
• Finding the best pillow
• Mattress alert

She says this is what could be leaving you reaching for the snooze button.

“Swelling of the eyes in the morning and feeling tired? People just think that is because of a bad night's sleep, but you can just bring that down to symptoms coming from your pillow,” she said.

• fatigue,
• chronic fatigue,
• skin rashes,
• eye irritations,
• nose irritations,
• throat irritations,
• upper respiratory problems,
• asthma.

Eight-year-old Oliver Spalding suffers asthma attacks. His mum Olivia didn’t think changing his pillow could make such a big difference, but it has.

“I noticed an immediate change in Ollie,” she said.

Dr Kemp says kids are the most likely to suffer.

“It’s even more important to keep kids’ pillows cleaner, because their immune systems are not fully developed,” she explained.

It's time to air Australia's dirty laundry, and it's pretty gross.

According to Galaxy Research most of us keep our pillows for more than six years - ignoring the condition they're in.

“85 per cent of Australians still have dirt and stains on their pillows,” pillow manufacturer Tontine’s manager Adam Heathcote said.

The solution for Tontine is that the company has “introduced a freshness date stamp to remind people to change their pillow,” Heathcote said.

For the month of October Tontine is offering a huge pillow giveaway. The company will give you a brand new pillow in exchange for your old one.

• When washing chose hot water over cold;
• Wash every couple of months;
• Vacuum or beat your pillow;
• Air it outside.