5 Reasons to Improve Your Employees’ Sleep
In an ideal world, you’re always providing your employees with great work-life balance while encouraging business growth. However, there are times when we all just have to grind a little more, causing excessive workloads on everyone. The result? Some of your employees can’t get the quality sleep they need to perform at their best the next day.
On the other hand, if you can help your employees get some consistent and quality sleep, they can help your business grow better than expected. Here’s why:
1. Your employees become less likely to procrastinate
Lack of sleep directly harms your employees' ability to stay focused and make decisions. When they're facing such mental blockers, they naturally delay important tasks.
Bad sleep can have detrimental effects on employee performance. It’s important to recognize that sleep deficiency impacts cognitive and physical health. The lack of sleep effects include increased stress levels, reduced concentration, and a higher likelihood of workplace errors.
Being well-rested, on the other hand, improves both of these mental tasks, encouraging your employees to be more inclined to clear their workloads as they come, increasing your business productivity.
2. Their problem-solving and creativity are at their best
Sleep deprivation has been known to affect cognitive abilities as the brain is not getting the rest it requires to deal with stress, solve problems, and consolidate memory - key mental functions in problem-solving and creative thinking. Getting enough sleep, on the other hand, can help improve the innovative abilities of your team.
But the most common question is, “Is sleeping 6 hours enough?” For most adults, the answer is no. To improve sleep quality, aim for 7-9 hours per night. Understanding sleep deprivation means knowing that it can lead to serious health issues, such as heart disease and depression.
Sleep deprivation treatment can involve creating a better sleep environment, maintaining a regular sleep schedule, and avoiding caffeine before bed. Ensuring your employees are sleeping well will boost their productivity and well-being. Encourage them to get good rest to be at their best for your company.
3. They minimize workplace injuries
Sleep deprivation is a surprisingly common cause of many workplace accidents. This is because employees without good sleep are less alert than others, leading to mistakes and a lack of awareness that can put safety at risk, especially in jobs where machineries are involved.
4. They stay healthy to show up at work
Good sleep naturally helps us stay healthy, and that helps your employees keep sickness at bay. Not only do they avoid taking sick days, they’re mentally present and ready to perform without distractions. Sleep deprivation symptoms can include a weakened immune system, making employees more prone to illnesses.
5. You’re helping them collaborate effectively
Being well rested not only helps your employees improve their work, it also encourages them to connect with one another. According to a 2018 study on sleep and social health, just 1 night of good sleep can already make us more outgoing and socially confident, and furthermore, will attract others to us. This improves their ability to collaborate and build on different perspectives, unlocking new opportunities for your business.
Do you want to help your employees sleep better? Start by implementing some simple company-wide policies to keep your employees off work beyond work hours, or work with us in encouraging your employees to get some quality sleep! In our ‘Sleep Right, Live Bright’ mental wellness workshop, we’ll educate your employees on the importance of good sleep, and provide them with techniques to get consistent with their sleeping habits. Check out our other wellness programs here.