Prioritize ZZZs: Tackling Sleep Deprivation for Peak Performance

Is work keeping you up too late?

The number might surprise you, but about 38% of American professionals experience fatigue at work due to lack of sleep. While a healthy 7-8 hours of bedtime is recommended for adults, most cannot meet this requirement. It happens more often on weekdays than weekends because a lengthy task list inevitably reaches home with you. ⏲️

Missing sleep is not just adding to your dark circles; studies point to a solid correlation between lost productive time of employees and sleep deprivation. Professionals on your team who are dealing with fatigue are not just tired; they can cost businesses up to 136.4 billion dollars annually in health-related lost productive time, which amounts to an excess of 101.0 billion dollars compared with workers without fatigue. 😴

What can you do against sleep deprivation?

Sleep deprivation can be a problem for you or your team. The first step in catching it is to look for the signs.

Do you see any of these around you?

Unexplained but simple errors 🔴
Missing bits of conversations or responding after a delay ⌛
Falling asleep in the middle of the day 😪
Having a hard time focusing on regular tasks 😩
Mismanaged emotional reactions 😠
And health issues with lack of sleep, such as redness of eyes, headaches, etc. 🤒

If you are nodding yes, then it’s time to act quickly. Here are a few things that you can start doing:

Focus on work-life balance

We know that everyone hands that tip in every context, but ensuring that you are not failing because of lack of sleep is pivotal. A healthy work-life balance should allow you to get out of work mode at the end of the day and get your mind in the mood for personal time and activities.

Find out if you are on the right track with these work-life balance questions. 🌴

Try a sleep journal

Sleep journals are great tools for people who have difficulty regularly sleeping or just want to check in with themselves. You might not think you are in trouble, but seeing the big picture at a glance with a sleep journal can help. A routine bedtime could be setting us up for irritability the next day. 📚

Identify what’s keeping you up

Is it a client deadline or a team member who does not see eye to eye? If work-related issues keep you up, working on boundaries can be helpful. Moreover, you can connect with your manager to discuss problems and get guidance instead of just fretting over them. However, if that seems too hard, get in touch with Merlin, Risely’s AI coach for managers and leaders. You can discuss your challenges and get expert advice at any time of the day. Start with a free conversation today. 🤖

All in all, remember that consistently staying up means losing much more than we gain. While finishing tasks in a rapid all-nighter seems delightful, it’s unsustainable and unhealthy in the long run. ⭐