5 ways to combat sleep deprivation in employees
On average, people in the UK get between 5.7 and 6.8 hours of sleep a night. The NHS recommends at least 8 hours. Clearly, we simply aren’t sleeping enough. And the effects of sleep inertia and tiredness caused by sleep debt decimate productivity and health.
Here, then, are five ways you can encourage employees to sleep as much as they should:
- Manage and monitor workloads
The feeling of being overworked stops people sleeping. You can’t settle down to a restful night’s kip if you’re worrying about the insurmountable pile of tasks waiting on your desk tomorrow.
Talk to your staff if you think they’re taking on too much. Let them know that it’s fine to delegate tasks and ask for help, especially if their health is suffering. Make sure they know cover is available so they can occasionally take a day off to catch up on rest, and keep an eye on the tasks they’re working on—step in if you think they’ll struggle. - Flexible working hours
They don’t work for all employers, but if you’re in the position where you can, then offering flexibility with working hours can mean so much more opportunity for sleep. The most obvious benefit would be to those who have to take care of the school run. Even just an hour’s later start time will change a stressed, sleepless parent’s life.
Make sure there’s a formal process for requesting flexible working time, and organise a rota so you know that you’ll always be fully staffed. - Introduce working from home
Rail commuters face an average daily journey of over two hours, with times for bus and car journeys increasing year on year. Imagine the difference a whole 120 minutes would make to people facing that sort of commute. It would almost be a shame to use all that extra time to catch up on sleep, but doing so will help people feel so much better.
If you introduce remote working, be sure to address any and all risks associated with it. Your employees should use a secure VPN, encrypt any sensitive communications, and sign up to tight security policies. But the tiny extra stresses these things bring will be nothing compared to all that lovely extra sleep… - Dietary changes
It’s all too easy to try to beat back sleepiness with sugary, caffeine-rich energy drinks. The problem with these is that they only really work in the short-term—you’ll find yourself exhausted and your productivity will be annihilated after a couple of hours. And they make it even harder to sleep later. It’s a vicious cycle.
If you provide good, healthy foods in your office—fresh fruit, slow-release energy bars, nuts and seeds, fresh, cold water—you’ll find that fewer people rely on sickly-sweet energy drinks and buckets of coffee to get through the day. - Promote and encourage good sleep habits
Communication is key. Displaying promotional materials around the workplace—posters, flyers and leaflets—listing the benefits of a good sleep schedule can influence your employees. Emphasise the positives of good sleep; reducing risk, reducing health issues and creating a more pleasant environment for everyone.
Write and send an internal newsletter, via email and your company’s intranet. Use it to promote sleep support measures, share articles on good sleep practice, and make sure your employees are aware of the things you’re doing to make their lives that little bit less tired.
This article is provided by Health Assured.
If you'd like to further develop your knowledge about employee wellbeing, a day at the Employee Wellbeing Congress on 20 June in London, is the essential event for you.
Supplied by REBA Associate Member, Health Assured
Health Assured is the UK and Ireland's most trusted health and wellbeing network.
