It is recommended that adults get more than 7 hours sleep per night for the body repair and restore while the mind processes the day’s events. Reducing the amount of sleep by as little as 1.5 hours for just one night can cause a reduction in alertness the following day by as much as 32%.
This lack of sleep can not only lead to decreased cognitive performance but also increases safety risk. Decreased alertness impairs your ability to think and process information, which reduces your ability to do tasks and puts you at risk of an accident.
In the workplace, sleep deprivation negatively impacts on both productivity and quality of output, which in turn can damage working relationships. Each time sleep deprivation is experienced, the brain finds it increasingly difficult to concentrate, learn, communicate, and remember. Your ability to solve problems declines, which contributes to inefficiency and job dissatisfaction.
Sleep deprivation can also induce a moodiness and unexpected outbursts which can put a strain on relationships with colleagues. This, in turn, creates stress which can aggravate sleep deprivation symptoms.
However, there are ways to manage sleep deprivation, such as:
- Sticking to a strict sleep and wake cycle, even at the weekends.
- Create a soothing bedtime routine to give your mind and body the cues that it is time for sleep.
- Make sure the room in which you sleep is in complete darkness.
- Keep your bedroom at the optimum temperature for sleep.
- Undertake regular exercise to ensure that your body is tired at bedtime.
- Read a book, do a gentle yoga practice or take up meditation before you sleep.
- Avoid stimulants such as caffeine and alcohol before bedtime.
- If you are stressed from workloads, write a to-do list for the following day before you leave to go home each night and then put it to the back of your mind until the next morning.
- Keep a sleep diary and make notes of the habits you keep before you go to bed.
- Invest in a sleep monitor or tracker to help you identify which habits help you to sleep better at night time.
If you would like to find out more about how REM-Fit Sleep Monitoring technology or Zeeq Smart Pillows can help you to get a better night’s rest, please get in touch with our experienced, knowledgeable staff by calling 020 8731 0020 or email us via sales@rem-fit.co.uk.
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