6 Ways to Better Engage in the Workplace - SleepWelcome to the second of a series of ways in which employees can take responsibility for their own engagement. As we established in the introductory post, “An Employee’s Guide: 6 Ways to Better Engagement in the Workplace,” employees assume some measure of responsibility for their own engagement. Engagement is a choice.

 

We kicked off the series with a focus on mindfulness. In this post, we will look at the second way to better engagement in the workplace: Sleep.

 

About Sleep

How much sleep did you get last night? Do you brag about how little sleep you had?

Sleep is a popular water cooler topic. It is even becoming a popular topic in articles and books these days. For instance, in March 2016, the Huffington Post and other publications ran stories postulating that Donald Trump’s behavior on the campaign trail was related to a lack of sleep? [Can Sleep Deprivation Explain Donald Trump’s Behavior?]

Previously books such as The Power of Full Engagement (2005) mentioned the effects of lack of sleep. Today, there are entire books devoted to the topic like Dangerously Sleepy (2013) and The Sleep Revolution (2016).

We experience stages when we sleep: “about every 90 minutes, we enter rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which is the most important part of our sleep cycle and lasts for 30–40 minutes. REM sleep — also known as the ‘brain delta wave state’ — is the deepest stage of sleep and allows the brain to process what has happened during the day, and lets the body and brain turn off its stress response.

During this stage, body development and tissue repair is stimulated, and the brain replenishes neurotransmitters that organize neural networks essential for remembering, learning, performance and problem solving. However, REM sleep only comes after our brains cycle through several stages of non-REM sleep; so if you get just 4–6 hours of sleep, chances are you are not be maximizing its essential benefits.” 1

 

Benefits2

Why should we care about getting enough sleep? Studies show the benefits of focusing on sleep. Health.com states that sleep leads to:

improve memory
spur creativity
sharpen attention
lower stress
maintain a healthy weight
avoid depression.

 

How rested are you?

There are a few ways you can determine how well you are doing in terms of getting enough sleep. First, going back to our mindfulness discussion be aware how your body reacts to the amount of sleep you are getting. Are you tired before you even get out of bed? Are you continually late to work because you can’t get going in the mornings? Do you fade in the afternoon? Do you have a nightly routine that allows you to wind down/ prepare for bed?

A second method is to use some sort of sleep tracker to measure the amount and quality of sleep you are getting.  I use a Fitbit Flex to monitor my activity and my sleep. I was surprised to learn that the amount of sleep I was getting was different from the amount of time I was actually in bed. While I thought I was getting 8 hours of sleep each night, my Fitbit Flex informed me that, on average, I was getting 6.5 to 7 hours of actual sleep. The remainder of the time I was awake or restless. While no tracker is perfect, having a baseline is a good place to start.

A third method is to consult a physician. There may be problems greater than you can tackle alone such as insomnia or sleep apnea.

 

Developing a sleep ritual

If you are ready improve the amount and quality of your sleep, there are many suggestions. Read about what others do. Experiment to find what works best for you. Here are some suggestions to get you started.

Determine the time you will commit to sleeping. What time will you go to bed? What time will you get up? Going to bed and getting up at the same times allows your body/mind to begin to adjust. After months of working on my sleep ritual, I no longer have to look at a clock to know that bedtime is approaching.  My body lets me know.

Make your bedroom conducive to sleeping. Consider your bedding, mattress, pillows, etc. Use curtains or blinds to reduce the amount of light in the room. If possible, leave your phone and other electronics in another room. The light they emit can affect the quality of your sleep. If must have your phone next to you at all times, use apps that allow you to dim the screen. Room temperature is another consideration. As much as I like heat, a cooler room is more sleep friendly.

Establish a wind-down process. Your mind and your body need to be tired.  Some people like to do some light exercises about 30 minutes prior to their bedtime. You can help quiet your mind, be turning off the television in favor of a work of fiction. While I prefer to read non-fiction books, these books often keep your brain in a heightened state. Fiction books are much less taxing prior to bed. What you eat or drink prior to bed should also be monitored. Some people use warm milk or decaffeinated tea as part of their nightly ritual.

Take a nap. Yes, just like in kindergarten, taking a nap can be beneficial.  20-30 minutes of light sleep can help you be more productive in your day. Napping is growing in popularity with companies like Google installing napping pods for their employees. [6 Companies (Including Uber) Where It’s OK to Nap]

 

The role sleep plays in engagement

“Sleep is often the first thing to give up when life gets busy with heavy workloads, irregular work schedules, school, and parenting responsibilities.”3 According to the National Sleep Foundation, “Lack of sleep costs U.S. companies a staggering $63 billion in lost productivity, according to a September 2011 study from the Journal of Sleep.”4

“When you sleep, your brain catalogues the previous day’s experiences, primes your memory, and triggers the release of hormones regulating energy, mood, and mental acuity. To complete its work, the brain needs 7 to 8 hours of sleep. When it gets less, your concentration, creativity, mood regulation, and productivity all take a hit.”5

In short, you are less effective, less productive, and more likely to negatively impact your coworkers and customers.

 

 

 

1 “The Importance of Sleep for Work.” Ideas for Leaders. IEDP Ideas for Leaders, n.d. Web. 08 June 2016.
2 Sparacino, Alyssa. “11 Surprising Health Benefits of Sleep.” Health.com. Health Media Ventures, Inc, n.d. Web. 08 June 2016.
3 “A Good Night’s Sleep Helps With Job Performance.” National Sleep Foundation. National Sleep Foundation, n.d. Web. 08 June 2016.
4 Henry, Zoe. “6 Companies (Including Uber) Where It’s OK to Nap.” Inc.com. Mansueto Ventures LLC, 4 Sept. 2015. Web. 08 June 2016.
5 Field, Ann. “Why Sleep Is So Important.” Harvard Business Review. Harvard Business School Publishing, 14 Jan. 2009. Web. 08 June 2016.

 

 

Fellow Agents, what are your thoughts on Sleep? What is your sleep ritual or how do you plan to approach getting more sleep?

 

 

Let’s Engage!

I’m Agent in Engagement Simpson…Gregory F Simpson.

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