Did you know, the record for the longest period without sleep is 18 days, 21 hours, 40 minutes? Symptoms of sleep deprivation for the record holder included paranoia, hallucinations, blurred vision, slurred speech and memory and concentration lapses...

We all know how important it is to get a good sleep. It feels great to wake up refreshed and energised, ready for the day ahead.

But how often does that happen?

Did you get a good quality sleep last night?

If you didn't you're not alone. Up to 45% of Australians report not getting good-quality sleep, with some cohorts, such as parents of young children, being particularly vulnerable. After all, it only takes a few months with a newborn to realise just how essential sleep is to your overall functioning in life!

Apart from feeling refreshed, what are the benefits of getting the right amount of sleep?

Research shows that sleep:
😴 Improves immunity
😴 Improves your mood
😴 Reduces stress
😴 Reduces inflammation
😴 Lowers the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease
😴 Improves focus and decision-making

So many reasons to prioritise sleep! And yet, we are all guilty of late night scrolling, staying up past bedtime, zoning out with some mindless social media escapism.

The question is, what are the implications of sacrificing sleep for those moments of escape?

It should come as no surprise that the human body does not respond well to poor quality sleep. In fact, in the workplace, those with poor sleep are more likely to make mistakes that could cause injury or worse. Here are some of the reported outcomes of poor sleep on health and wellbeing:

—> more mistakes and errors of judgment

—> memory issues

—> weakened immunity

—> weight gain

—> increased risk of heart disease and diabetes

—> low sex drive

—> altered moods

And now, new research indicates there is a correlation between poor sleep earlier in life and a person’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.

How much sleep is enough?

There is some variation for everyone, but most people do well with between 7 and 9 hours of sleep. So, if you aim for 8 hours, you’re likely to wake up feeling pretty good.

Are there things you can do to improve your chances of getting to sleep and staying asleep?

There are many ways to support a good quality sleep. Here are three tips to get you started:

1. Plan ahead and start winding down for bed an hour or so before you want to fall asleep. Create your own special ritual, turning down lights, doing some stretches, relaxing with a book, to help your mind and body begin slowing down.

2. Be mindful of caffeine and alcohol. Enjoy your beverage of choice, but try to avoid caffeine after 2pm and limit the number of drinks you have in the evening.

3. Slow your body and mind down with gentle movement and intentional breathing in the evening. Getting in touch with something as simple as ‘belly breathing’, or taking some mindful stretches can go a long way to helping you relax.

Learning about sleep and how to improve it are really beneficial - for the individual, their family and workplace, and society in general. If improved sleep has a knock-on effect to improving relationships, reducing accidents and errors, and decreasing one’s risk of cognitive impairment later in life, it is worth investing some time to learn what you can do to make changes today.

To learn more about how sleep can improve your health and well-being, contact me to bring the 'Sleep as a Workplace Support workshop to your team.

Or, for a bespoke workplace well-being assessment and strategy report, please get in touch.