Sleep disorders are a global epidemic. A whopping 45% of the world’s population suffer from sleep problems. That’s 45% of your employees that may have a reduced attention span, poor memory, lack of energy and mood swings. All of these symptoms lead to poor or risky decision making. So much so that research suggests that 13% of workplace injuries and 20% of vehicles crashes are caused by tiredness.
While the immediate implications are clear, many are unaware of the long-term damage sleep disorders can cause. Impaired immune function, obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke and depression are all linked to sleep disorders.
Given the detrimental impact employee sleep disorders can have on working and personal life, we need to ensure our employees have the support they need.
Less than a third of people suffering from a sleep disorder seek professional help. The reason for this may be because awareness is lacking. Here are a few facts that you could share with your employees to encourage them to seek help:
Here are some really useful resources to help your employees manage their sleeping habits and identify if they are suffering from a sleep disorder:
Excessive workload, organisation change and shift working may all negatively impact sleep.
While it may be difficult to directly measure how work is impacting sleep habits, you can understand more about the work-life balance. An employee survey that includes work-life balance survey questions such as the following will enable you to make any necessary changes:
Surveys such as this should be carried out regularly to highlight and resolve any imbalances.
We spend up to one-third of our lives sleeping. Despite it being a basic human need, that need is often overlooked. By starting conversations and encouraging employees to share their opinions and experiences, we can help employee with sleep disorders manage their sleep problems and address their sleep disorders.
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