Once upon a time… the nickname Sleepy Dan began to describe anyone who is overly motivated but can’t find time to sleep. Often seen tired during the day due to long working night hours, the alias took shape when repeatedly used to tease someone for being found yawning, daydreaming, or half awake. Having a common name means you have to carve out your originality by emphasizing individual traits. At the same time, having this common name helps me bond with all Dans or anyone who shares the same affection for sleep. But the truth is, snoozing is enjoyable no matter what your name is!

Growing up, my parents say I loved to sleep for long periods of time. Often I was found napping in the car, living room, or weird spots like on the lawn or at the beach. I did not need permission, just a pillow or comfortable spot to sleep. My favorite child memories were sleeping in late and never wanting to be too far from my pillow. Designing early in life by printing signs and shirts, I had an over active work ethic to learn quickly and develop creatively. After a great NY college start, I transferred to RCAD, but not all credits were accepted. Forced into an overloaded class schedule, I was designing all night to finish project deadlines if I was going to graduate on time.

From the start I had to decide if sleep or grades were more important. During the day between classes, you could find me sleeping at the library or in the campus commons. Life was difficult, but not impossible. When friends began to find me napping in weird spots, my sleepy nature was exposed. To give me a wake up or just say hello, friends created nicknames like “Sir Sleeps A Lot.” Everyone got used to seeing my tired face and the branding name became a short story of its own.

The purpose of Sleepy Dan brand is to use pop culture art to uncover and unify those who share my love of sleep. Sleepy Dan designs focus this concept to printed apparel, including themed collections such as childhood nighttime fears. The brand insignia is an alarm clock surrounded by lightning bolts, to symbolize the energy of the alarm ringing to wake up. The brand message is “You Snooze, You Lose!” which gives the clear understanding that too much sleep will inhibit progress. Sleepy Dan helps everyone voice their feelings of what they would rather be doing. All of us have goals we are working towards that are more important than rest. Sometimes we just need a wake up call to get where we should be…