In this day and age, we are a part of a productivity race. This race for increased productivity has led us to sacrifice every moment of rest in the name of success. But rarely do we realise that our body and mind do need a break for better productivity and a sane mind. In this article, we explore how sleep is an important tool for worker productivity.
Sleep as a tool for work productivity
Sleep has been proven as a tool for improving worker productivity. This is mainly because sleep is the only time when a body undergoes relaxation and rejuvenation. This time and space are necessary to ensure high energy levels to carry out daily activities throughout the day.
The main physical changes that a body goes through while we sleep include:
- Blood pressure changes throughout the night to promote cardiovascular health
- During sleep, your body also creates hormones that help your immune system fight infections, so good sleep can prevent you from getting sick and help you recover quickly.
- During sleep, your brain creates and maintains pathways that are critical for memory formation and retention.
These processes help enhance learning and problem-solving skills which are essential for improving work productivity.
Statistics on how sleep and work productivity are correlated
Now that we know how sleep helps a body relax and improve work life, here are statistics that prove that sleep does improve work productivity.
- 61% of adults around the world believe that their memory is worse when they have not slept well.
- 75% admit they are less productive after a poor night’s sleep.
- 35% of workers get less than seven hours of sleep at night
- Up to 70% of employees report feeling sleep-deprived regularly.
- A workforce loses 1.23 million working days because of sleep-deprived employees.
- The economic costs of sleep deprivation ranged between $280 and $411 billion U.S. dollars in 2015.
- Those who reported getting 5 to 6 hours experienced 19 percent more productivity loss, and those who got less than 5 hours of sleep experienced 29 percent more productivity loss.
- Those with even mild insomnia experienced 58 percent more productivity loss.
- Those who reported problems with daytime sleepiness experienced 50 percent more productivity loss.
- Those who snored regularly (a sign of sleep apnea) experienced 19-34 percent more productivity loss, compared to those who didn’t snore.
5 ways sleep actually improves work productivity
We now understand how sleep affects our body and it helps us be our best self. Here are 5 ways sleep directly improves work productivity.
1. Improved well being affects work productivity
As sleep helps us relax it also takes care of lethargy and tiredness throughout the day. During sleep, as the heart comes to a rest, it also reduces our blood pressure and readies it for the ups and downs of the day. Also with easier hormone secretion, more sleep also keeps us in a happier mood affecting in a better will be in our waking hours does improving work productivity.
2. Sleep leads to better cognitive function
A good night’s sleep leads to a more calm relaxed mind. This makes space for or the workings and thought processes throughout the day which utilize cognitive skills. If we don’t have good sleep are cognitive functions are also reduced. This could lead to lower alertness a slower response which could lead to lower work productivity. Thus sleep is also responsible for ensuring that lesser mistakes are made and improved performance is seen in one’s work.
3. Better sleep leads to better focus
When cognitive functions take a hit a focus and attention also suffer. Thus a lack of sleep affects lesser focus. This can be especially harmful when it comes to workplaces where lack of attention can cause serious accidents. It has been seen that sleepy employees are 70% more likely to be involved in a workplace accident than workers who aren’t fatigued. Sleep is not only important for work productivity but also for once and others safety.
4. Sleep restores brain function
Studies have found that slow-wave sleep, also known as deep sleep, is essential for optimizing the restorative value of sleep. During slow-wave sleep, the brain decompresses activity from the day and consolidates, manages, and optimizes sensory data. Slow-wave sleep restores brain function and leads to increased energy and alertness also leading to work productivity.
5. Sleep well for better time management
People who do not sleep well also see a steep decline in the way they use time. Some of the things they waste time on include spending three times as much of their day on time management, feeling less motivated, and struggling with focus, memory, and decision making. Thus we understand that getting better sleep also improves the way you use time and does your work productivity.
Get some sleep and improve your productivity
As we navigate the new normal and aim to maintain productivity, sleep is crucial and gives the brain the necessary tools to perform at its highest level the next day. By prioritizing sleep, people can not only improve work productivity, but also overall wellbeing.
FAQs
Those who reported getting 5 to 6 hours experienced 19 percent more productivity loss, and those who got less than 5 hours of sleep experienced 29 percent more productivity loss. Thus we know that better sleep is important for better productivity.
Those who reported getting 5 to 6 hours experienced 19 percent more productivity loss, and those who got less than 5 hours of sleep experienced 29 percent more productivity loss.
Slow-wave sleep restores brain function and leads to increased energy and alertness also leading to work productivity.
A good night’s sleep leads to a more calm relaxed mind. This makes space for or the workings and thought processes throughout the day which utilize cognitive skills. If we don’t have good sleep are cognitive functions are also reduced. This could lead to lower alertness a slower response which could lead to lower work productivity.
