Imagine a Wednesday afternoon in an overly warm meeting room; attendees enter with their large coffee mugs and biscuits and slump down in their chairs.

You struggle to make progress on the agenda items; the conversations seem unfocused, and the person speaking loses their train of thought mid-sentence. Staff are distracted – one is focused on an unrelated IT issue and is more irritated than usual.

Your creative, focused, and dedicated team seem like shadows of their former selves. But why? What is causing this? And how can you support your team?

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What is sleep deprivation?

Employers do a lot to support staff health and wellbeing, but sleep is often overlooked.

Sleep deprivation occurs when a person does not get enough sleep, either due to poor sleep quality or insufficient duration. It can be the result of a few nights of inadequate sleep or persist over a longer period.

Here are some common signs that might suggest your workforce is sleep-deprived:

Lack of concentration – struggling to close off some tasks before starting the next, making mistakes, not being able to follow the flow of discussions and participate

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Memory problems – forgetting names or important information, difficulty remembering deadlines, going back several times to pick up essential equipment before starting a task

Emotional regulation – irritability, not connecting with colleagues, seeming distant or short-tempered

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Health effects – consuming more caffeine and energy-dense foods, increased sickness absence, poor mental health including increased feelings of anxiety and depression

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You invested in your employees’ wellbeing, yet something is still missing.

Alongside nutrition and physical activity, sleep is the foundation of our wellbeing.

It plays an important role in our body and mind. When we don’t sleep, it has wide-reaching negative effects on our day-to-day lives.

How your employees sleep will translate to their attendance, engagement and productivity. Yet very few employers include healthy sleep as part of their employee wellbeing strategy. But they should.

Why should employers be concerned with employee sleep?

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Recruitment and retention – prospective employees looking to join the organisation will know your business takes wellbeing seriously. Existing employees will feel more supported and maintain a healthy sleep pattern, enabling them to continue working without experiencing health problems associated with lack of sleep.

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Productivity – sleep improves physical strength, cognitive performance, memory and focus. It is required to perform well in any job. Sustained energy levels throughout the working day/shift will ensure that your employee is contributing at their highest capacity whilst at work.

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Risk – due to impacted concentration and cognitive performance, sleep-deprived employees make more mistakes which can cause risk to health and safety or damage a company’s reputation. Poor emotional regulation due to lack of sleep can also lead to increased risk-taking.

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Absence – although it is unlikely that you will experience staff members calling in sick just due to sleep issues alone, sustained sleep deprivation will lead to other physical and mental health problems which can cause increased sickness absence. Sleep plays a crucial role in our immune system. Employees who do not sleep well are more likely to become unwell. Lack of sleep can also exacerbate mental health and other long-term health conditions causing prolonged sickness absence.

How can you support your employees' sleep?

The best way to support the sleep of your workforce is through sleep education.

Our Sleep Healthy Workplace Webinars are designed to embed a sleep-friendly culture in your business and give your employees the tools and resources for better sleep.

These webinars support organisational health and wellbeing and absence management initiatives by addressing sleep-related issues experienced by your team. Mitigating the negative effects of poor sleep on your business performance turns sleep into a strategic asset helping your team to thrive.

For employers that take an active interest in their employees’ health and wellbeing, these webinars complement existing workplace wellbeing initiatives like healthy eating, physical activity, and mental health to amplify the impact of each one.

Investing in your employees’ sleep is investing in the future of your business. Prioritise sleep for a happy, healthy, motivated, and safe workforce.