Sleep – how important is it really?

It is getting more and more difficult to ‘switch off’ from technology and get a good night’s sleep.  A recent survey found that 46% of 13,000 UK adults get five to six hours’ sleep per night which is far below the recommended eight hours.  It is this extent of sleep deprivation that has a detrimental effect on workers’ performance.

People are finding it hard to transition to their home life as well as they used to, as many take their work home and it’s having a knock-on effect on sleep.  The less you sleep, the less resilient and more stressed you are. 

Key performance requirements are generally high levels of cognitive functioning, mental processing, focus, memory, recall, creativity, problem-solving and emotional regulation.  Lack of sleep affects these phenomenally, as well as your long term health.   Therefore having more and better quality of sleep will greatly improve your work life, your family life and your relationships as you will be able to cope with stress a lot easier.

We could all benefit from winding down at the end of the day, even if it is for 30 minutes.  Many go straight from working on their computers, or looking at their smart phones straight to bed and expect high-quality sleep. Try reading a book or engaging in conversations with family members before going to bed.  Not only will this help you relax and sleep better, but it will improve your relationships as you communicate more.

Resource: People Management magazine, July 2016