No matter how hard we try, we never feel as if we’ve had enough sleep. According to the NHS, one in three of us suffers from sleep-deprivation. Unfortunately, not getting enough sleep can have a negative impact on our health and wellbeing.
Lack of sleep puts us at risk from serious medical conditions including heart disease and diabetes whilst simultaneously affecting our mental health. As well as affecting our health and wellbeing, not getting enough sleep also affects our work life.
Not getting enough sleep can increase our stress levels whilst reducing productivity, engagement, creativity and motivation in the workplace.
Are My Employees Getting Enough Sleep?
The productivity of UK employees has decreased in the last five years. Many experts believe this is directly related to lack of sleep. A report by Loughborough University found that 3 in 4 UK employees are suffering from persistent sleep problems that prevent them from performing well at work.
If you’ve noticed a drop in productivity levels or an increase in sick days, your employees may be struggling with sleep-deprivation. Other signs include missed deadlines, poorly completed work and employees being moody, quiet or unusually emotional.
Ensuring your employees are getting enough sleep will have a positive impact on workplace performance, workplace relationships and the overall health and wellbeing of your team. The question is, how do you encourage employees to get more sleep?
Top Tips For Encouraging Employees To Get More Sleep
Here at Wellspace, we are experts in workplace health and wellbeing. Here are our top tips for encouraging employees to get more sleep and achieving a well-rested workforce.
Allow Flexible Working Patterns
Flexible working has been growing in popularity in recent years. We think it’s going to be a huge trend in 2020. And rightfully so! There are so many benefits to flexible working.
For example, it enables employees to fit their work around their busy lifestyle and helps them achieve work-life balance. Having a flexible working pattern also allows employees to take a break when they need to rest and catch up on their Z’s.
Encourage Exercise
Daily exercise is the key to a good night’s sleep. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, we should each be getting at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. Whether it’s jogging, yoga, walking or playing a team sport, daily exercise will gently tire out your body and help you fall into a deeper sleep once you’re in bed.
Encourage your employees to exercise more by introducing walking meetings, providing on-site group fitness classes or offering a discounted gym membership.
You can also encourage exercise by providing a Wellbeing app, which your employees can use to track their activity levels and commit to their health and wellbeing.
Revise Workloads
If your employees aren’t getting enough sleep, they may struggle to meet deadlines and complete important tasks. This will increase their stress levels and prevent them from getting a good night’s sleep.
To improve the health and wellbeing of your workforce and get your employees back on track, perhaps revisit their workloads and delegate fewer projects.
Increase The Natural Light
It’s simple but effective. Natural daylight is good for our body. It boosts our energy levels during the day and helps us sleep better at night. If you’re lucky enough to have an office or workspace with access to natural daylight, allow it to flood in whenever possible.
Encourage Employees To Track Their Sleep
Thanks to recent advances in modern technology, it is now relatively popular for people to track their sleeping patterns using smartwatches and mobile devices.
By providing a wellbeing app, such as the Wellspace Application, you can encourage your employees to track their sleep pattern. You can then provide help to those who are struggling and reward those who are prioritising their health and wellbeing.
Urge Employees To Leave Work In The Office
If your employees are taking work home, chances are they’re struggling to complete their workload and are stressed. Taking work home can prevent your employees from winding down and may add to their sleep struggles.
Have a chat with your team and explain that you don’t want people to be taking work home with them. Explain that you can delegate tasks if they are struggling and emphasise the importance of work-life balance.
Encourage Employees To Take Annual Leave
The last thing you want is an employee burning out because they haven’t had enough sleep and are overly stressed. If an employee is struggling at work due to sleep-deprivation, encourage them to take a day or two of their annual leave.
It will do them good to catch up on their sleep and they will come back into work feeling refreshed and energised.
Provide Wellbeing Training
Here at Wellspace, we provide a range of workplace training sessions including group lunch bite sessions, one-to-one sessions and behaviour change training. We also have Focused Training, which highlights areas that matter the most – such as sleep.
Get In Touch
If you’d like to find out more about encouraging employees to get more sleep, get in touch with Wellspace. Here at Wellspace, we are experts in workplace wellness. We are aiming to revolutionise workplace wellness with our leading app, online portal and tailored wellbeing training.
