Gulping down mug on mug of coffee may help keep you awake when you have work to complete at night but missing out on sleep doesn’t help you much the next day. In fact, losing as little as just 16 minutes of sleep can significantly reduce your productivity levels the next day at work putting your job at risk, says a new research.
What Does This New Study Reveal?
As per a new research which has been published in the Sleep Health (Journal of the National Sleep Foundation) missing out on even a few minutes of sleep can cost you your productivity levels at work. As per this new study conducted by researchers at the University of Florida, a loss of 16 minutes of your sleep can impact your cognitive functionality negatively the next day.
For the purpose of this study, researchers looked at 130 employees who were healthy and had minimum one child of school-going age. Participants said that when they missed 16 minutes of sleep from their regular sleep time, they struggled with staying productive the next day at work. The missed sleep made them stress more, particularly with regards to their work-life balance.
The lead author of this study, Soomi Lee said, “Findings from this study provide empirical evidence for why workplaces need to make more efforts to promote their employees’ sleep. Good sleepers may be better performers at work due to greater ability to stay focused an on-task with fewer errors and interpersonal conflicts.”
How Can You Improve Your Sleep?
Getting less sleep is a problem faced by one too many people. Lack of sleep can lead to health complications such as heart disease, memory loss, diabetes, obesity, chronic stress, etc. along with low productivity. This is why it is crucial to pay attention to your sleep hygiene to be able to rest better. For this, you must have a proper, set sleep routine.
You must also keep technology at bay at least an hour before bedtime. Blue light from the screen of your smartphone or laptop can keep sleep from visiting you by delaying the production of melatonin which is the sleep hormone. Additionally, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and other drugs should also be avoided in the evening so as to ensure good quality sleep.
If you are unable to sleep, it is best to leave the bed and engage in repetitive activities that don’t sip too much of your energy such as folding clothes. Make sure the temperature in the room is optimal, your bed is comfortable, and too much light isn’t in your face to encourage sleep. Regularly exercising in the day can also boost sleep quality.
Key Takeaway
Missing out on sleep can lower productivity at work next day says a new research. This is why it is best to not mess with your sleep schedule during the work week. If you are struggling with sleeping, try keeping your smartphone away, switching off extra lights, and getting yourself comfortable. Still not able to sleep? Get out of bed and engage in a task that doesn’t require too much work.
