Whether you realize it or not, Canada is experiencing a sleep epidemic. In fact, we are the third most sleep deprived nation in the world, on par with the US. A lack of sleep strongly correlates with low productivity, and sleep deprived employees can cost your business between $1200-$3,100 per employee annually.
The Alarming State of Sleep in Canada
So just how bad is the sleep situation? Put simply, it's not great. Check out these sleep stats from Statistics Canada:
Even one night of poor sleep can have immediate short-term effects. Staying awake for 20-hours straight impairs our reaction speed and reasoning abilities as much drinking a bottle of wine does.
The cost of consistently neglecting sleep is significant, too. A two week stretch of sleeping six hours a night has the same cognitive effect as going two consecutive nights without sleep. Making poor sleep a habit increases our risk of an early death by 13%.
Furthermore, insufficient sleep is associated with a host of chronic health issues, such as:
Fortunately, the causes of insufficient sleep are becoming more well known. Too much exposure to blue light, either through TV, laptop or smartphones, makes it harder for us to get that much needed shut eye. Drinking caffeine too late in the day can leave us alert when we want to be asleep. And drinking too much alcohol, though it may help us get to bed, reduces the overall quality of our sleep.
External pressures are serious culprits as well. Work stress can leave our minds racing as we lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Even family commitments or social engagements we know are coming up (regardless of if we're looking forward to them) is enough to effect our quality of sleep.
You can’t change what employees do at home. You can, however, help them form healthier habits. In this blog, we’ll share some strategies to help your employees get enough sleep at night, resulting in them feeling healthier and showing up to work fully engaged.
Business leaders have the power to influence the health of those they lead, and healthy employees are more productive than unhealthy ones. In fact, research shows there’s a savings of $5.81 for every $1 invested on employee health—thanks to reduced absenteeism, greater productivity, better morale, and lower staff turnover.
People in leadership positions can examine their workplace culture and how it relates to sleep. If your business encourages long hours and weekend work, it's no surprise employees are sacrificing their sleep quality to keep on top of their domestic responsibilities.
NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) recommends that employers make wellness a core priority for top management. Don't forget to invite employees to participate in devising healthcare strategies.
(See also: 5 Practical Ways to Support Working Caregivers)
Making employee health a top priority is only the first step. To make a difference, it’s essential to take action to help them get the sleep they need.
It may sound counterproductive, but consider allowing employees to have short naps to restore their energy and focus. Take inspiration from major companies, like Google and Zappos, who provide “nap rooms” for staff to catch up on lost sleep.
Just make sure employees don’t nap for longer than 20 minutes. If they do, they could have even more trouble falling asleep!
Avoid setting unrealistic time pressures for employees. If they’re working around the clock and skimping on shut-eye, they can’t produce their best work. Emphasize quality time at the office, not quantity of time.
Whenever possible, avoid making your employees work overtime. Let them go home at regular times—to recharge, run errands, and maintain a consistent sleep schedule.
If it makes sense, allow employees to work from home. Give special consideration to those with long commutes or those with family or financial pressures. Also, encourage your team to maintain a good work/life balance. You can do your part by not contacting them about work-related matters while they're on vacation or at home.
(See also: 4 Simple Ways to Encourage Employees to Take Vacation)
To inspire employees to get smarter about their sleep habits, share this list of tips with them.
Having a wind down routine for bed that you enjoy makes falling asleep much easier. Stretching, meditation, journaling or drawing are all ideas that people have used to great success.
To support the actions mentioned above, implement an ongoing program that targets employee wellness.
Employee wellness programs are fully customizable and address a variety of wellness issues. Here are some of the components your employee wellness program could include to address sleep concerns:
To promote your workplace wellness program, you could even throw a half-day health fair with a "healthy sleep" theme.
To boost your team's productivity, you have a secret weapon right under your nose: sleep.
So it’s important to make employee health a priority in your organization from the top-down.
Consider allowing your team to have short naps, offer flexible work arrangements, and give them enough down time. Implement a workplace wellness program to help educate, train, and support your team. Encourage your employees to take charge of their health—and give them the tools to do so. You’ll then be able to turn chronic sleepiness into increased engagement, focus, and employee satisfaction.
Ready to learn more about the benefits of an employee wellness program? Download our free guide.