For Good Health and For Being Our Best at Work
We often focus on exercise and diet for health and work success, but prioritizing good-quality sleep is just as vital for our well-being and work performance.
Sleep impacts our health:
The National Sleep Foundation acknowledges that sleep is essential for health and well-being. Despite this, millions of people are not getting enough sleep. In terms of overall health, sleep helps regulate our mood and makes us feel better. In fact, there is overwhelming research that demonstrates how sleep deprivation is related to obesity, cardiovascular issues, cognitive decline and diabetes. Good-quality sleep allows our bodies and minds to function well.
Sleep impacts our well-being at work:
- Better-quality sleep is related to increased work engagement, improved problem-solving, clearer thinking, and better performance on complex and creative tasks.
- Work improves when you sleep better. Better sleep allows staff and faculty to solve problems more efficiently and think more clearly.
- Memory and concentration improve with better-quality sleep.
- Adequate sleep improves your patience with coworkers.
- Individuals tend to enjoy their jobs more when they have better sleep quality.
- Despite the straightforward evidence supporting sleep’s role in health and work success, many find it difficult to get enough quality rest.
What can we do to improve our chances of getting good quality sleep?
- Consult your health care provider before starting any exercise, as exercise can improve sleep.
- Get outdoors whenever possible! Natural light helps promote sleeping better at night.
- Monitor what you eat before bedtime; heavy meals can interrupt the sleep cycle. Also, be mindful of caffeine intake as it can disrupt your sleep if taken too close to your bedtime.
- Develop a relaxing bedtime routine. This can help “teach” your body that it is time to sleep.
- Limit bright light exposure for at least an hour before sleep. Consider turning off your phone, tablets, and laptops because blue light from these devices can send an alerting signal to our bodies, and the content on these devices may be stimulating.
- Embrace a dark, cooler room to create the best sleep environment for better quality sleep. In fact, create a “sleep sanctuary,” so you feel like you are in a comfortable, peaceful environment.
- Commit to a bedtime and wake-up schedule as much as you can. Consistency helps our bodies get sleepy at bedtime and helps us wake up feeling refreshed.
- Manage stress before your head hits the pillow. You want your bed to be a place to relax and restore, not a place to worry.
For more on improving sleep or other health goals, consider your 24/7 access to licensed, credentialed counselors through All One Health (Faculty and Staff Assistance Program).
From the desk of Tanya Williamson, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and assistant vice president of the Office of People and Culture