Sleep – Creating and Promoting a Work Life Balance

Why it is important to get a goodnight sleep

According to the NHS 1 in 3 of us suffer from poor sleep. Some of the most common reasons for poor sleep are stress, computers and bringing work home.

Lack of sleep can cause lack of focus and bad moods. It can also have more serious effects it can increase your risk of developing medical conditions, such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes, as well as chronic lack of sleep can impact mental wellbeing leading to mood disorders like depression and anxiety

On average you need 8 hours sleep every night, however this does vary between individuals with some needing more and some needing less

Why sleep is important for job performance:

29% of people have reported either falling asleep or becoming very sleepy at work within a month period.

12% reported that they were late to work due to sleepiness

More than 25% of employees said that daytime sleepiness interferes with their daily activities at  work

Ways to improve your sleep:

Reduce the amount of time spent on screens specifically screens with blue light, as this type of light tells your body that it is still daytime and prevents the production of melatonin (which is a hormone involved in sleep regulation).

Don’t work to close to bedtime, as this reduces the quality of sleep that you have, and it will take you longer to get to sleep as your brain has not switched between work and rest mode. You should aim to finish working at least an hour and a half before you go to bed.

Reduce your caffeine intake throughout the day try to keep it to a minimum, you will be surprised the amount of other drinks that contains caffeine, it is not just coffee such as energy drinks and soft drinks. It is best to stop consuming caffeine by three o’clock

However, there are also medically diagnoses sleep disorders including insomnia, sleep apnea and parasomnias, which can also have a negative impact on individuals in the workplace. At BDHL we can help you out with both cash plans and PMI, you can speak to a specialised insurance broker to ensure that the policy is suited to your requirements. BDHL specialise in employee benefits as well as insurances for families. Providing our clients with maximum health coverage and bespoke packages. For further information call 01892 891900 or email enquiries@bdhl.co.uk