According to Mental Health UK, 1 in 5 adults aren’t getting the adequate amount of sleep that they need. The recommended amount of sleep that an adult up to the age of 64 should get is 7-9 hours per night, but due to a number of concerns, including financial worries, many find it difficult to control their sleep patterns and end up with less sleep than they need.

When it comes to your employees, insufficient sleep can prevent them from focusing on their personal and professional obligations. It can also make it more challenging for an employee's physical and mental health—and sleep training programmes could be the solution.

how can employers decide if a sleep training programme is required?

Sleep problems are universal, so everyone can benefit from improving their sleep. With 1 in 10 people reporting that they only get 2-4 hours of sleep every night, the need for sleep training programmes is critical.

Research even shows that the neuro-cognitive effects associated with the lack of sleep are similar to what people experience when they’re under the influence of alcohol. Plus, it has other implications, including negative health effects, a decrease in performance, and a decrease in public and workplace safety.

These facts alone should give employers pause before they overlook the lack of sleep as something that doesn’t have direct consequences for their workplaces and treat it with the same importance as any other workplace health and safety issue.

what are the common causes of insomnia or inadequate sleep?

Lack of sleep can be attributed to many causes, including environmental, psychological, physiological, and behavioural. There are even studies that attribute insomnia to more than one of these causes.

Here’s a look at some of the most common causes of insomnia:

• Life stressors including financial worries and relationships
• Anxiety and depression
• Chronic pain and diseases
• Hormone fluctuations
• Medications
• Neurological disorders
• Alcohol or drugs
• Other sleep disorders

how effective sleep training programmes can help improve employee health

Similar to eating nutritious food and exercising regularly, getting adequate sleep is also a key component of leading a healthy lifestyle. 

When you sleep, your body rejuvenates and repairs certain processes that are needed for you to function every single day. This is perhaps the leading reason you need to ensure that you get enough sleep every day. Here are a few more health benefits that you can enjoy by getting your daily 7-9 hours of rest.

better mood

Sleep restores our energy levels so when you wake up from a good night’s sleep, You’re immediately refreshed and in a good mood. People who don’t get enough sleep can experience mental distress that will last throughout the day and possibly lead to depression, anxiety, and irritability.

improved mental function

Sleep is said to have a positive effect on memory and cognitive thinking—both important functions for an employee. Brain plasticity theory suggests that sleep is a necessity for the brain to grow, restructure, and reorganise. This helps individuals learn new things and form memories. To put it simply, sleep helps improve productivity and decision-making skills.

stress relief

When it comes to employees, stress is the leading mental health problem that they experience and getting a good night’s sleep can help fix that. When people wake up refreshed, they avoid stressors that can drive poor performance, lack of energy throughout the day, and difficulty concentrating and thinking clearly.

what can you learn from sleep training programmes?

If you’re thinking of implementing a sleep training programme in your workplace, it needs to have a few key components that can actively help improve your employees’ quality of sleep, including:

• Creating a consistent sleep schedule
• Establishing a quality sleep environment
• Engaging in regular physical activity
• Avoiding stimulants before bedtime
• Eliminating screen time before bed
• Speaking to a sleep specialist

final thoughts on sleep training programmes from kinhub

The benefits of adequate sleep cannot be refuted. Whether employees are suffering from financial anxiety or relationship turmoil, the lack of sleep can have adverse effects on practically every aspect of their lives.

Having a strong programme that trains employees how to maximise their sleep and maintain healthy sleep patterns can go a long way in helping manage a number of health conditions and also improve the way they work.