Why sleep matters
SLEEP POSITIVELY IMPACTS EVERY SINGLE CELL AND FUNCTION OF OUR MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH.
Yet, according to Dr. Walkers prominent book, “Why We Sleep”, 65% of the US adult population fail to get 7-9 hours of recommended sleep each night. He goes on to further to share that, “After 10 days of 7 hours of sleep, the brain functions as if it was going without sleep for twenty-four hours.”
According to a Gallup study, Americans get just 6.8 hours of sleep each night on average. This compares to 7.9 hours 50 years ago. That hour less of sleep each night may not seem significant, but “Getting seven hours of sleep for 10 nights in a row is the equivalent of staying up for 24 hours.”
Beyond physical benefits, research by RAND Corporation shared, “If everyone in the U.S. slept one more hour each night, we would boost the economy by $226.4 billion.”
SLEEP BENEFITS
1.Increase your immune system.
There’s nothing worse than being stressed — and sick. Sleeping less than six or seven hours a night destroys your body's immune system. The good news? You can boost your body's ability to fight off infections, disease, and the common cold by not only getting more sleep, but improving the quality of the sleep you’re already getting.
When you don’t get enough sleep (or you’re overstressed) your body’s inflammation levels increase. Cancer cells then trigger what’s called “inflammatory factors” to their advantage, by encouraging more blood flow, DNA mutation, and/or the spreading of cancer to other areas of the body.
Getting one night of four hours of sleep decreases the number of natural killer cells (anti-cancer fighters) in your body by seventy percent. Yes, you read that correctly. Seventy percent.
“Sleeping less than 6-7 hours every night doubles your risk of cancer.”
2. Decrease your chance of developing a lifestyle disease.
Lifestyle diseases, diseases most prevalent in the developed world like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke are all impacted by your sleep. If you’re 45+ years and get less than six hours of sleep a night, you’re 200% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke in your lifetime compared to those getting seven to eight hours a night.
According to the American Heart Association, “adults 45 years or older who sleep fewer than six hours a night are 200% more likely to have a heart attack or stroke during their lifetime, as compared to those sleeping seven to eight hours a night.”
3.Stay accident free.
The World Health Organization declared sleep deprivation an epidemic among developed countries and workers in the U.S. seem to be leading this losing battle.
Many researchers have even equated not getting enough sleep to behaving as though you’ve been drinking. You’re cognitively impaired and won’t be able to make as sound of decisions as you would after a good night of sleep.
Driving sleepy is more dangerous than driving drunk. Why? People who fall asleep at the wheel have zero reaction time, drunk drivers typically have at least some reaction time. If you’ve gotten less than five hours of sleep you are 3x more likely to be involved in a traffic accident and if you got four hours or less that number jumps to 11.5x more likely.
Sleep deprivation reduces your ability to make good decisions quickly, makes you more likely to react vs. responds to stressful situations, and inhibits your body’s ability to heal itself. Getting good night of slept is essential to functioning well.
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How to Improve your sleep habits.
Follow these tips outlined by the American Heart Association:
Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day — even on weekends.
Avoid drinking caffeine after noon and alcohol a few hours before bedtime.
Exercise daily.
Create a wind-down bedtime routine.
Limit exposure to blue-light
Avoid checking emails 1-2 hours before you go to bed
Take a shower or bath to lower your core body temperature (surprisingly, you don’t have to take a cold shower to help lower your core body temperature)
Sleep in a dark, cool room — you might even get yourself an eye-mask to help keep light out.
If you’re having trouble sleeping, and you’ve tried all of these ideas, it’s probably time to call in the professionals.
Why sleep matters at work
Research by Dr. Matthew Walker, prominent sleep expert and author of Why You Sleep, highlights that sleep-deprived employees are less likely to be focused at work, take longer to complete tasks, are less creative, and less likely to tackle more mentally involved projects. They’re also more likely to make costly mistakes and have trouble retaining new information.
Add in the additional distractions of working from home for the first time, with a partner, and potentially kids and stress, presenteeism, and absenteeism is bound to increase.
According to Walter F. Stewart, a director of the Center for Health Research & Rural Advocacy at Geisinger Health System in Danville, Pennsylvania, presenteeism in the United States costs employers more than $150 billion per year.
Under-slept employees are also more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, burnout, and lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and cancer. They’re less likely to be physically active and more likely to gain weight due to suppressed hormones that regulate their ability to feel full when eating.
Sleep-deprived employees are 40 percent more likely to react negatively to stressful situations due to a disconnect between their logical and emotional brains. An equilibrium that can only be rebalanced with a good night of sleep
A RAND Corporation study that examined four large companies found that: “In the US, insufficient sleep costs an average of nearly $2,000, and up to $3,500, in lost productivity per employee annually— a combined loss of $54 million dollars each year. Lack of sleep costs the economy up to $411 billion per year - which is 2.28 percent of its GDP.”
Read: Why sleep matters more than ever.
EMPLOYERS CAN ALSO PROMOTE GOOD SLEEP HABITS BY PROVIDING OR SUGGESTING:
BRIGHTER WORKSPACES DURING THE DAY
ALTERNATIVES TO SODA OR COFFEE TO HELP EMPLOYEES LIMIT AFTERNOON CAFFEINE INTAKE
POLICIES THAT DISCOURAGE SENDING WORK EMAILS AFTER 7 PM
SCREENINGS FOR SLEEP APNEA
MEDICAL COVERAGE FOR THERAPISTS TO HELP ADDRESS ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION
Some companies are even creating nap rooms or encouraging afternoon naps, to help boost productivity after research by NASA showed that a 20-minute nap significantly increases cognitive function and improved performance by 34 percent.
Small, simple changes in how companies support their employees’ ability to handle constant connectivity and related stress will not only significantly improve their employees’ health but generate significant financial gains for employers and our economy.
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