How Lack of Sleep Could get you Fired
I have recently shared a story about how Fitness Gaming helped me to overcome anxiety and insomnia. Today I want to talk about how sleep deprivation affects workplace performance.
It is not a secret; the better you sleep, the better you feel. It is not common sense. Many sleep studies prove it.
Bad sleep = poor performance.
Let’s make it clear; sleep is the key to success. Various studies explored sleep deprivation in different genders, ethnic groups, occupation types. Here are some examples.
According to one study, participants with less than 7 hours of sleep were 2.94 times more likely to develop a cold than those with 8 hours or more of sleep.
No doubt poor sleeping routine will impact your work life. Our brains need energy only a quality night sleep can provide.
How big is the sleep problem?
I would say it is huge. As a planet, we don’t sleep enough. In the USA alone, 1/3 of adults are not getting enough sleep. The Center for Disease Control even has a designated program to tackle sleep disorders.
According to the UK National Body for Sleep Health, 40% of individuals suffer from sleep issues.
Let’s look through the ways sleep can affect your job performance.
Mood
Oh man, we all know if we had a bad night sleep, we would be cranky and irritated. I become a terrible person when I don’t sleep well.
Lack of sleep can trigger more serious mental problems than “being moody”. According to Harvard University, sleep problems may increase the risk of developing particular mental illnesses.
While in the office environment, that could translate into rudeness, complaining or rage towards your coworkers. Triggered by a minor issue, you could damage relationships beyond repair. Contrary, when well-rested, you’re more likely to handle all sorts of surprises with respect and balance.
Memory
I have a calendar, notebook, iPad; you name it. I still would forget something, important stuff, because I was not sleeping well.
According to the sleep foundation — There are strong indications that sleep and memory are closely linked. Lack of sleep hinders working memory, which is necessary to remember things for immediate use.
Remember, sleep is brain fuel, no fuel, no memory.
Focus
One of the basic skills and cognitive abilities is Focus. It is the capacity to concentrate on a specific task or process.
Guess what? When you haven’t slept enough, your mind can’t focus. It gets cloudy and loses attention.
This study concluded — the willingness to exert attentional effort is reduced during sleep deprivation. You are less bothered to focus because your body and brain are tired.
It may seem you don’t care or are not engaged at work, even if you are trying your best.
Creativity
This is an interesting one! The National Geographic article states — our brains are better at integrating disparate pieces of information after a short bout of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep — a deep, dream-rich slumber that involves a rapid fluttering of the eyes. Cai thinks that REM sleep catalyses the creative process by allowing the brain to form connections between unrelated ideas.
No REM, no Creativity.
Problem-solving and decision-making
Problems can be complex. Decisions require a rational brain. We live in a fast digital era: complicated software, issues to solve, and time-dependent decisions. People expect you to be sharp and your actions risk-free.
An exhausted brain is more likely to form wrong conclusions.
Physical effects
My body is my temple! Everyone should live by that. By the end of the day, it is the only vessel available to experience life. Poor sleep has an enormous impact on your body.
Sleep deprivation has a neurologic effect, changes your vitals and messes up your hormones.
Solution
When I faced sleeping trouble, I referred myself to CBT (Cognitive behaviour therapy). It took me 7 weeks to change back to normal and turn my life around. My therapist recommended the below points to get better.
- Physical activity. I pushed myself to work out every day. I used FitnessGame to achieve the result, as I had no energy to do any conventional exercise types.
- Sleep Hygiene. Stick to the time. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on the weekend. The bed is for sex and sleep only. No TV in bed. No hanging out in bed if you don’t plan to doze. Create a winding down routine and repeat it every evening.
- Meditation/relaxation/breathing.
Companies must put sleep on the well-being agenda
No one wants a grumpy underperforming employee. Your once fantastic analyst is producing too many mistakes. Please don’t jump to conclusions. Speak to her/him. Maybe he/she suffers from sleep deprivation.
Initiate wellbeing and sleep conversations with your team. I managed to reverse my horrible sleep pattern and sliding performance. Many more can do the same with the right support.
Ludi F
