Workers and employers can have a strange relationship with sleep. It’s just as essential to life as eating, drinking and breathing – yet it can be abused, almost seen as an inconvenience. Some organisations even view their long-hours culture as a badge of honour. The longer-term damage caused by bad sleep hygiene in return for any short-term gain can be huge.
The reality is that we can’t ‘game’ sleep patterns in the long run without damage to our health, performance and probably long-term career. Maybe even our lives.
By the end of this article, you will better understand the importance of sleep, along with some practical techniques you can use to make healthier choices – and use in your organisation. That’s what sleep hygiene is all about – creating the ideal conditions for a good night’s sleep.
The benefits of sleep
Want to be more creative, more effective in meetings, able to hold the attention of others and get your points across? These are all more achievable with better sleep.
Yes, a shot of coffee may help you ‘sharpen up’ but this is merely a quick fix. To really embed the kind of wellness needed to perform better – whether in work or other fields of achievement, you need the restorative benefits of sleep.
Sleep affects almost every type of tissue and system in the body. It is the process of cell recovery and regeneration that helps information processing and memory consolidation. But, despite all the clear benefits, lack of it comes at a high cost – to both the economy and our health.
The real cost of a bad night’s sleep
On a national scale, the annual cost of lost sleep to the UK economy is estimated to be between £30bn to £40bn, with around 200,000 working days lost each year – according to research by RAND Europe.
What’s more, lack of sleep leads to a fall off in job performance which can impact on productivity, but also harm career progression and job satisfaction. Other negatives include an increase in job-related accidents, higher absenteeism and displays of anger and stress in the workplace. Poor sleep impacts team morale too. Recent research from the University of California, Berkeley, demonstrates that when we don’t get enough sleep, we fail to help or support each other.
In the very worst case scenario, organisations may be liable for accidents caused to others while their employees are working without proper rest. All of this can and does impact personal lives too.
How much sleep do we actually need?
There are those that claim to be exceptional achievers who perform with very little sleep. Others may brag about ‘pulling an all-nighter’ to meet a deadline. What we do know is that the body needs between 7 to 9 hours sleep each night – and there are dangers if we regularly have less.
Margaret Thatcher may have claimed to be able to run the country on 4 hours sleep a night in the 1980s, but studies now show that a lack of sleep in middle age may increase dementia risk. What might be seen as heroic acts of achievement at the time can have devastating affects in the long run.
Why aren’t we sleeping well?
As a nation, we aren’t getting a good night’s sleep. 77% of the population sleep for less than 7 hours each night and 33% for less than 6. Even an hour can make a difference. Adults who sleep fewer than 6 hours a night have a 13% higher mortality risk than adults who sleep at least 7 hours.
There are a lot of distractions, beliefs and habits that are the enemy of a good night’s sleep. The irony is that we do many of these in the belief that we are working better.
So, what exactly is stopping us?
Plenty. Many of the things that contribute to unhealthy lives also affect our ability to sleep. These can include poor diet and obesity, alcohol and sugary drink consumption in excess amounts, lack of physical activity, smoking, mental health issues, menopause, sleep disorders (such as sleep apnoea), lack of daylight exposure resulting in Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), stress at work and home, shift work/irregular working hours, financial concerns – in particular the cost-of-living crisis – and long commuting.
The pandemic and home working caused many to work irregular hours – something that is continuing with hybrid working. The clear lines that once set a boundary between home and work are blurring. We are working longer hours, often into the evenings and with no one there to notice – and that includes ourselves. Somehow, we believe that ‘just one more hour’ might result in better productivity or recognition. We soldier on, thinking it’s all OK until one day it’s not.
And then there’s our increased use of technology, often linked to the above. Checking late night emails or using PCs or laptops involves longer exposure to blue light that keeps us awake by suppressing the sleep-inducing hormone ‘melatonin’
What can we do to create better sleep?
As individuals and organisations, we all have a role to play in encouraging better sleep.
As individuals:
- Know how much sleep you need. While the average is 7-9 hours per night some may need more and others less. Try to find time to allow yourself to wake up naturally for a few nights in a row to see your likely average. Avoid alcohol if possible during this stage.
- Avoid stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine close to bedtime. And when it comes to alcohol, moderation is key, alcohol disrupts sleep in the latter part of the night preventing sufficient REM and deep sleep.
- A routine will help. Try to create a consistent sleep-wake schedule – this means getting up and going to bed at largely the same times every day, even at the weekend.
- A healthy diet and good hydration are key. Avoid spicy foods and heavy meals too close to bedtime.
- Take regular exercise aiming to avoid strenuous activity too close to bedtime.
- Avoid late night use of electronic screens and try to stop any work at least an hour before you try to get to sleep.
- If lack of sleep persists and you suffer from insomnia, seek further support and advice from your GP. Remember, sleep is essential to our wellbeing and making it a priority is important.
As organisations:
- The culture of your organisation will set the mood for how your employees view sleep. If you tend to encourage long hours, we advise against this. Look at the quality and productivity of your employees, not the hours they work.
- Line managers will play an important role in setting the culture and expectations around workload. Not only in spotting the signs of poor sleep but in checking in with remote workers to warn of the risks of burnout and dissuading them against late night working.
- Help employees understand the impact of excessive screen time on their mental wellbeing, work/life balance and sleep. Encourage them to take regular screen breaks throughout the day.
- Hold meetings away from screens. Outside walking meetings show benefits in terms of exercise, morale and employee engagement as well as reducing exposure to blue light.
- Organisations with shift workers should develop a shift worker policy as sleep loss is a major effect of shift work and is most noticeable after a night shift.
You may also find some of the actions helpful from this guide. Business in the Community: Sleep and recovery in the workplace infographic
In conclusion
One of the best ways to ensure good employee performance is to make sure they are getting a good night’s sleep. That’s because Improved sleep equals improved productivity, mental health and general wellbeing. But, similar to mental health issues, identifying the signs of a lack of sleep, and encouraging more openness can be a challenge.
Organisations and line managers in particular have a role to play in creating that awareness and discouraging habits that reduce sleep. The good news is that many of the points are inexpensive to implement. This is largely an awareness and education initiative, supported by a commitment to protect the health and wellbeing of all employees at work and at home.