Lack of sleep has a profound effect on mental, emotional, and physical health as well as workplace productivity and overall quality of life.

The Big Picture of sleep

The increased awareness and attention given to sleep in recent years is therefore welcome for those who struggle and their employers. That said, there is still a long way to go in getting the nation sleeping better.

The University of Southampton recently estimated that the economic cost of lost productivity in the UK due to poor sleep  is around  £40 billion per year, and noted that those working 55 hours or more per week have the poorest sleep in terms of quality and quantity (1).

The link between poor sleep and cardiovascular disease, metabolic health and our immune systems is well established, not to mention that of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. So prioritising and improving sleep where necessary will benefit not only the individual, but also their employer, the NHS, and the economy more broadly.

The sleep charity’s recent survey reported that 75% of people identified  work stress as contributing to their poor sleep (2). As individuals we have a responsibility to take steps to maintain good sleep, but may also need the support of employers too.

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To improve sleep, we need to change our response to it

You do not have to look far on social media to see a range of suggestions about how to improve sleep including reducing caffeine, pillow sprays, supplements, and CBD products. None of them are necessarily bad in and of themselves, but if you are suffering from a long-term sleep problem, coupled with work or life stress, it is unlikely that they are going to be the answer.

The biggest reason that sleep problems persist is our response to bad nights. Typically, after a few nights of poor sleep, thoughts creep in like “What if I don’t sleep tonight, I won’t cope,” or “I have an important event, so I really need a good nights’ sleep.” We then start to work a bit harder at going to sleep, often changing plans and activities to accommodate the fatigue felt. We might go to bed earlier, lie in, reduce activity or use alcohol and caffeine.

By responding in these ways, we are inadvertently accommodating the poor sleep pattern, and before we know it weeks, months or even years have gone by with sleep continuing to be a problem. People are left feeling confused about what they should or shouldn’t do to get a good night’s sleep.

By the time clients arrive in my clinic, they think that they have tried everything; they feel depressed, anxious, and even hopeless about their sleep, and wonder if they will ever sleep well again. This is when we need to start resetting our brain and body to ensure a healthy sleep pattern is restored.

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Improving sleep is like trying to lose weight, there’s no quick fix!

I often explain at this point sleep is like diet, there is not one thing you can do that will fix a longstanding sleep problem like insomnia, just like cutting out chocolate only will cause significant weight loss.

It takes lots of small but consistent changes to both day and night routines that will reset and maintain sleep. It may take a few weeks to really notice a tangible difference but when you do, you will start to feel more relaxed and confident and the thoughts and worries about sleep will start to hold less power over you.

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Sleep, stress and work.

We cannot ignore the impact of stress or anxiety on sleep. Heightened arousal and elevated levels of cortisol are commonly seen in those not sleeping well. So, finding ways to manage stress will be key to improving sleep.

I regularly work with people who experience improvements due to putting in place my recommendations, but then notice increases in stress that trigger deterioration in their sleep and wellbeing. Several have decided to renegotiate their terms of work or look for alternative employment, in the hope of  improving their mental health and sleep. Others start to include strategies to manage stress and reduce arousal throughout the day.

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How employers can help

So, for employers, it may mean having options around hours of work to support different chronotypes, for example allowing employees to schedule their work hours between 7.00 am and 7.00 pm thus allowing for variations in chronotypes . Many may still be happy with traditional 9.00am – 5.00pm

Another way of supporting staff is by enabling and supporting them to obtain regular access to daylight and take brain breaks. Stepping away from intense work periods to access daylight, practice breathing techniques or a take short walk can improve wellbeing, productivity, and creativity.

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Working with your natural rhythms (chronotypes)

It may be that you identify yourself as being a night owl or an early bird, and as a result plan your days to accommodate this. Where possible, clients  have adjusted their work timings to accommodate their body clock.

By allowing people to work in line with their natural rhythms, employers will enable employees to work at their optimum times for alertness and productivity. This not only plays to individuals’ strengths but also allows them to ensure they have ample sleep opportunity.

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Top Tips to start improving sleep

Here are a few small changes you can consider as a starting point to improve sleep. For some people this may be enough to see improvements, for others, a more detailed and personalised approach with one-to-one support may be necessary.

1 – Keep a consistent wake and rise time, avoid lying in and eat within an hour of waking, even after a bad night. This helps maintain a healthy body clock, which influences all systems of the body to support sleep and health.

2 – Get outside during the day, ideally soon after getting up or sunrise whichever is first and again throughout the day as much as you are able. Even 10-20 minutes in natural light on a cloudy day can have a real impact on your sleep as well as general health.

3 – Start to notice if you are ready to fall asleep at night and use this as your guide for going to bed. Often people go to bed at what they regard as their bedtime, but they are not necessarily ready to sleep. This results in extended periods of time awake creating more frustration and anxiety. So, at your typical bedtime, notice if you feel sleepy, this should be your cue to go to bed. If you do not feel ready to sleep, hold off a little longer until you do.

4 – Put the day to bed before you go to bed. It is important that we allow time for our minds to settle and avoid them racing during the night. Turn off screens and do something more calming; reading, journalling, listening to music, crafts or gentle stretching are just some of the things you can do to help settle at the end of the day.

5 – Finally, try not to overthink a bad night. Good sleepers do not think about sleep, they do not worry about the next night or change their daily activities after a bad night. They accept that they do not feel at their best, but they continue as planned.

(Driving is an exception to this. If you do not feel safe to drive, do make alternative arrangements.)

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Other sleep problems

There are many other sleep disorders that can occur that have  a range of symptoms. These can be assessed by your GP or sleep professional, so if you are experiencing persistent unrefreshing sleep even though you appear to be sleeping well, if others have noticed behaviours regularly occurring at night, such as kicking, thrashing, walking, eating, breathing changes or anything else that seems odd, do seek further help and advice from your GP.

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Final thoughts

There are a range of factors that influence  sleep, many of which we have control over. By prioritising time for sleep, managing stress and ensuring healthy routines with regular time outside, we can improve the quality and quantity of sleep as well as our sense of wellbeing, thus leading  to happier, healthier individuals and more productive teams.

Sleep well!

Helen

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References:

(1) Sleep Manifesto 2024 – The Sleep Charity

(2) Long And Irregular Work Hours May Impair Sleep | University of Southampton accessed 3^rd November 2024