The Power of Sleep: How Restful Nights Can Boost Your Business Operations part 2
“Sacrificing sleep for work, then working more to compensate for lost productivity, can become an exhausting cycle.” - SleepFoundation.org
In Part 1 of this blog series, we explored the growing problem of sleep deprivation and its harmful effects on business. Part 2 will dive deeper into practical measures that we can take to combat this epidemic.
The good and the bad news of sleep deprivation is that it is often a problem of our own making. While this means that we have increased responsibility where its casualties are concerned, it also means that we all have the agency to effect change. It might take a mental shift and the hard work of building new habits to get there, but it is possible to develop the ability to block out and sleep a sufficient number of hours.
Read on to learn solutions to this malady and get ideas for easily incorporating better sleep hygiene into your work and personal life.
What Causes Sleep Deprivation?
When it comes to skimping on sleep, one of three culprits is usually to blame: work, life, and/or sleep problems.
Today’s modern world and shifting economies often make high demands of workers. With continued distance from the COVID-19 pandemic, America has seen an increase in families where both spouses hold down jobs ( bureau of labor statistics ). Not only is there pressure to recover financially from the recession but there are also significant differences in the way work is done post-pandemic. America experienced a surge of start-ups starting in 2021, while many other businesses began offering remote options. While these changes bring many benefits, they also add increased responsibility to employees to manage their time and keep their businesses afloat. It doesn’t take much imagination to see how flexible hours, increased business tasks, and unlimited possibilities drive many to skip Z’s in favor of getting ahead.
Before the pandemic, life has always found many ways to keep people from their beds. Keeping up with bills, grocery shopping, doctor’s appointments, and car repairs can be a part-time job, leaving little time for the best things in life, like spending time with family and friends, enjoying nature, and pursuing hobbies that bring us joy. Parents are especially stretched, wanting to ensure they attend their children’s events and build quality time together. When choosing between clapping for Johnny’s first theatre performance or a few more hours in the sack, sleep usually suffers.
Lastly, whether from the stress of work and life or health issues, many Americans struggle with sleep disorders that prevent them from getting rest even when they have enough time to get the recommended amount. the sleep foundation indicates that 50 to 70 million people in the U.S. have ongoing sleep disorders, including insomnia that affects daytime activities.
Unfortunately, sleep disorders can compound and create a vicious cycle in which the body must use more energy to stay awake, which makes us slower at our required tasks, which means we need to work longer hours, which pushes back the other tasks we need to do in our lives, including sleep. The stress of this cycle is enough to give anyone insomnia, even without an underlying disorder! Not only is this a nuisance, but it can also lead to other significant health issues and even death (see Part 1 for detailed statistics regarding health and sleep deprivation).
How Sleep Deprivation Affects Functionality
Although there are always unavoidable circumstances that reduce our sleep, the numbers show that we often misunderstand the potential benefits sleep has on our lives, including our careers. More worryingly, there appears to be a general lack of awareness around the negative impact sleep deficit has on our physical and mental health . The fact that so many of us — along with our peers, coworkers, and friends — still take pride in losing sleep to do more work (as if it makes us superstar students or employees) is a clear example of this.
Sleep deprivation has many adverse effects, including:
• Increased likelihood of making mistakes
• Attention difficulties
• Driving accidents
• Emotional instability
• Lower immune system
• Stress
• Memory issues
• Slowness in regular tasks
• Decreased creativity
• Increased irritability and anxiety/mood disorders
• Poor decision making
• Disease/pain/hormone imbalances
• Relational difficulties
While getting insufficient sleep for a few days during a tight deadline may not be a big deal, anything more than that can have adverse, compounding effects. And you don’t have to wait long to be under the umbrella of chronic sleep deprivation –3 months of insufficient sleep is enough.
Some people fight against their need for sleep because they have heard that some highly successful people only sleep 3-4 hours a night. While it is true that there are a few people in the world whose genetics may allow them to be okay with less sleep , the healthiness of using that ability is debatable. What is clear is that these “short sleepers” are an anomaly rather than a trained or large part of the population. Most of us should not attempt this, even if we technically “can” get by.
For most of us, sleep deprivation will eventually wreak havoc on life and is not worth short-term gains.
Sleep Solutions
Some sleep problems may need medical support to treat; many of them, however, require a mind willing to take new actions and commit to the time and effort needed to form a new habit.
The first step in getting enough sleep (and gaining all the benefits thereunto) is identifying the cause of your specific sleep deficits. No two people are the same. For one person, it might be poor time management; for another, it might be that eating too close or too far from bedtime keeps the body awake. Once you know what is happening, you can take action to make a change.
Below are commonly suggested solutions for ensuring a solid night’s sleep:
• Develop a consistent sleep schedule and stick to it (even on weekends)
• Establish a relaxing bedtime routine you enjoy
• Make your bedroom a quiet and comfortable space that you use only for sleep
• Exercise regularly
• Avoid consuming caffeine from the afternoon onward
• Avoid eating a large meal or drinking alcohol before bedtime
• Ensure that your bedroom is kept at a comfortable, cool temperature
• Go to bed early enough to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep
• Turn off all screens and electronics at least 30 minutes before bedtime (in addition to tempting us to stay up past our bedtimes, the blue light emitted by technology inhibits melatonin, the hormone that helps with sleep)
Beyond these tips, others have suggested that you not remain in bed if you can’t sleep. Getting up and doing an activity for 20 minutes may make you more tired and, if anything, won’t train your body to stay awake in bed.
Seeing a therapist may also be a good idea. Sleep problems can sometimes stem from long-entrenched thought patterns that influence our physiology. Therapists can use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and other techniques to help you take back your life. Another benefit of this route is that pursuing therapy often lowers stress in other areas of your life, promoting more restful sleep.
Like all good things, good sleep doesn’t just happen. Establishing parameters like these can train your body to sleep once you hit the pillow (humans and bodies are creatures of habit).
Prevention is the Best Medicine
Of course, part of changing our relationship with sleep will involve preventing the zappers that rob us of it in the first place. The struggle is that work and life cannot be escaped, nor should they!
The solution here is to find ways to work smarter, not harder. Whether you’re a business owner or an employee, ask yourself if and where there are tasks in your work and personal life that you can delegate or outsource. You’d be surprised how removing even one or two items from your list can result in huge dividends. Imagine what you could do if you didn’t need to worry about house cleaning, managing your calendar, or running payroll.
Getting help with such tasks is no longer a luxury for the rich; along with the rise of remote working arrangements, there’s been a rise in virtual assistant (VA) services at rates that work with almost every size of business. Virtual assistants exist to complete delegable tasks for you, freeing up your time and energy for monetizable or personal tasks only you can do. Often, hiring a VA pays for itself from the increased dividends that result in your ability to engage in focused work or to take time to care for your health and sleep in ways that ultimately boost your productivity and happiness (and you’ll still be able to go to Johnny’s school play!).
Embrace the Journey to a Better Night’s Sleep
Sleep itself is a natural process, but it is one we must plan for in our modern-day world.
For whatever solutions you implement, developing a growth mindset is essential. Good things take time, and it will likely require trial, error, and time before the sleep regime that works for you can be found and formed.
While it’s perfectly fine to make drastic changes if you think that will help you, you may want to Remember that stressing about the “right” way to have good sleep habits can itself be a source of insomnia; embrace the adventure and excitement of being on a journey and know that results will come through consistency over time.
As you change your relationship with sleep, don’t be surprised if your discoveries rub off on others. By prioritizing sleep, you’re making a statement about what you think is important. As your friends, family, and fellow small-business owners observe your new habits and endeavors, they might decide to act for themselves in ways that could ultimately save their health and business. If you’re a business leader, you might even consider a sleep retreat for your next PD!
Want to learn more about hiring a VA? Don’t hesitate to contact Brandi and the Luneer Mgmt team to learn how a VA can take your quality of life to the next level.
As business owners, we are pioneers; learning the truth about sleep and enacting better habits around it will help us walk in our destiny. And if you’re reading this late at night, consider this your permission to log off and catch those Z’s!
WRITTEN BY: KATIE BARNETT
