Sleep gives your body a much-needed chance to rest and recover. Without a quality night’s sleep, you may struggle to operate at peak performance in all aspects of life, including at work. Are you struggling to meet deadlines, missing meetings, or making uncharacteristic errors? All of these challenges at work could be attributed to poor sleep quality.
In this special guest blog, Katherine Hall takes a closer look at exactly how sleep quality impacts your work performance and ways to improve both.
The Impact of Sleep on Work Performance
Regardless of your job title, it's advised to be alert, focused, and on-task at work. Unfortunately, a poor night’s sleep, particularly on a regular basis, can drastically impact your work performance and leave you feeling sluggish, disorientated, and unmotivated.
The National Sleep Foundation recommends adults get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night to wake up feeling rested, reenergised, and focused. The reality is, nearly one-third of individuals sleep less than 6 hours per night.
Without adequate rest, certain processes in the body struggle to function optimally, including your cognitive abilities in the brain. Your brain’s neurons become overworked, slowing down your reaction time and causing cognitive impairment. Your brain and body soon become overworked, leaving you physically and mentally drained, which can impact your concentration, decision making and focus.
The subtle side effects
Many sleep deprivation side effects are short-term and immediate, like having trouble waking up in the morning or struggling to concentrate. However with chronic sleep deprivation it can cause long-term health complications including cognitive decline, dementia, weight gain, and heart disease. Unhealthy workers are also much more likely to call out sick, lack motivation, miss out on promotional opportunities, and suffer injuries on the job.
On the other side of this equation is how adequate sleep can support motivation, productivity, and overall job performance. When you get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep you need to function at peak performance, you also tap into the ability to realise your full potential. Not only are you focused and on-task at work, you’re likely to be more alert and aware of your surroundings.
In turn, this prevents physical injury, increases confidence, and increases your chances of success at work. A rested, focused brain and body are capable of completing assignments in less time, producing more work with better quality results, and noticing opportunities for improvement and advancement. A quality night’s sleep can make all the difference.
The importance of sleep on your bodily functions
Knowing what happens to your brain and body during sleep will help you better understand the significant role it plays in work performance and productivity.
Several biological processes occur overnight while you’re sleeping. Your brain sorts through information and memories, organising and storing important pieces and purging the rest. This promotes strong memory prowess, focus, and cognitive function.
Nerve cells in the brain communicate during sleep, and this reorganisation process promotes healthy brain function. Your body also repairs its physical cells during sleep, releasing hormones and proteins, and restoring energy. This restorative process keeps your brain and physical body in optimum shape for performing daily tasks, including those at work.
When your brain struggles to process and reorganise information at night, you may find it difficult to pay attention during the day. The mental effort of trying to stay on-task when you are sleep deprived requires a lot of mental energy. This can rapidly drain your mental and physical state and may impact on your ability to finish jobs that require concentration for long periods of time.
Decreased physical reaction times are a dangerous side effect of poor sleep. Not only can this result in errors and omissions but physical injury if your job requires you to operate heavy or dangerous machinery, or another vehicle. Most employees aren’t able to risk slow reaction times in critical situations. In addition to physical injuries, poor reaction time can also cost you beneficial job advancements. Not responding to an enquiry by your boss, an important invitation, or even a general conversation could result in missed opportunities.
Mood swings are another common side effect of sleep deprivation and one that could be rather costly at work. Lack of sleep can leave you feeling irritable, angry, and more vulnerable to stress. Your emotional responses are amplified, causing you to act irrationally or inappropriately. Stress and anxiety due to sleep deprivation can also make it more difficult to fall asleep at night, creating a vicious cycle. Those with sleep-related stress are also more susceptible to developing depression and anxiety, which will undoubtedly impact your work performance long-term.
How to Improve Your Sleep and Your Work Performance
It’s like you already know that getting a quality night’s sleep is imperative for performing at your best. However, you may be struggling with sleep deprivation or, even, insomnia, without realising it. With 30% of all adults reporting short-term insomnia, this is something we all need to take into consideration. While you may not get the perfect night’s sleep every night, you can start making subtle lifestyle changes to help support healthy sleep habits and routines.
Prioritise
It often feels like there’s not enough time in a day to accomplish everything on your “to-do” list. Since you can’t change time, you may need to reassess and readjust your priorities. Making time for work, socialisation, family, sleep, and self-care can be a difficult balance. Do you find yourself staying up late at night to binge-watch Netflix or scroll through social media? This may not be the most productive way to spend your time -- especially if it’s cutting into your much-needed beauty sleep. If, however, you’re setting your alarm 45 minutes early to hit the gym before work, that may not be something you want to alter. Not only can exercise boost your mood but also help you fall asleep faster at night. Try to make a list of your daily responsibilities and activities and start cutting out behaviours or practices that are no longer serving you or of value. By doing so, you can make more room on your priority list for sleep.
Consider a Change in Hours
This may not be possible, depending on your job title or work schedule, but if possible, see if you can make adjustments to your hours. It’s no surprise that 32% of all night shift workers battle insomnia. Your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle (circadian rhythm) is based on the rising and setting of the sun. It’s very difficult for your mind and body to adjust to sleeping during daytime hours and being productive at night. If you have a more loose work schedule, ask about working from home a few days a week or adjusting your hours to best fit your needs. Smart employers will work with you since research shows happier, well-rested employees are 13% more productive while on the job.
Improve Your Sleep Hygiene
Not everyone can change their work schedules or careers to support a quality night sleep. If that describes you, it’s time to take matters into your own hands. There are plenty of lifestyle changes you can make to improve your sleep hygiene, work performance, and quality of life.
Your sleep hygiene focuses on establishing healthy nighttime routines and habits that promote restful sleep. Things like limiting screen time before bed, meditating, going to bed and waking at the same time each day, and reserving your bedroom for sleep and sex only can all help improve your quality of sleep. In addition to adjusting your bedtime routine, you can also adopt daytime habits to make it easier to fall and stay asleep at night. These include regular exercise, limiting caffeine after a certain time, and avoiding large or fattening meals before bed. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) and other therapy and treatment programs can also help those with chronic insomnia change their sleep patterns.
Investing in Your Sleep is an Investment in Your Future
Your quality of sleep directly impacts your ability to perform and succeed in the workplace. Try to avoid letting unhealthy sleep habits keep you from realising your full potential. While some things may be out of your control (like your work hours or commute), you can still make adjustments to your schedule and habits to promote better sleep.
When your body and mind get the rest they need, you’ll wake feeling energised, focused, and ready to tackle the world!
Dr. Katherine Hall is a Sleep Psychologist who specialises in treating insomnia. She holds degrees with specialisations in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-i). With over 13 years of clinical experience working in the public and private sectors, Katherine is dedicated to improving sleep health. Follow Somnus Therapy on Instagram and Twitter.