How does depriving yourself of a good night’s sleep hurt your company? Elizabeth Blackwell of the digital financial news network The Street counted the ways Oct. 19 in the article, “5 Ways More Sleep Can Wake Up Your Business:”
1. Sleep lowers stress. Studies from the University of California and Harvard Medical School have found that sleep-deprived volunteers were less able to reach reasonable conclusions. “Sleep-deprived workers (and owners) are more likely to react emotionally to perceived threats and less likely to think through solutions logically,” Blackwell writes. “More sleep means less anxiety, and a less stressed-out workplace.”
2. Sleep helps you learn skills. Blackwell notes that numerous studies have shown that people who haven’t had enough sleep have a harder time learning because they’re tired, distracted and unable to retain information. Blackwell writes, “At a time when business owners must be nimble and able to adjust to changing technology, those who can pick up skills quickly are at a competitive advantage.”
3. Sleep reduces health care costs. Again, studies have shown that sleep-deprived employees have weaker immune systems, which means absenteeism and higher health care costs. “The healing powers of sleep can also have short-term benefits: encouraging employees to take a sick day (and taking them yourself) not only prevents the spread of germs through the workplace, it allows the sick employees to go home and sleep—which speeds up recovery,” Blackwell writes.
4. Sleep encourages weight loss. Sleep, diet and exercise work together to precipitate wellness, including maintaining a healthy weight. Blackwell cites a recent study from the University of Chicago that concluded that without sleep, fat cells don’t properly metabolize insulin. (See story on Page 138.)
5. Sleep primes your body for challenges. For most of us, our brains are on speed dial all day, shifting between work-related issues, family concerns, personal worries, schedules, growing to-do lists, etc. By the end of the day, our minds need eight or so hours off the merry-go-round to rest and heal. “Think of sleep as nature’s tune-up shop,” Blackwell writes.
She concludes, “Sleep is not negotiable. It is a critical piece of your business’ ultimate success.”
