Get Your Zzzz’s! – Improve your Sleep Health

March is National Sleep Awareness Month and a perfect time for evaluating how much sleep you’re getting. Sleep is an essential component to physical health and emotional well-being: it affects how we feel, how we focus, and how we manage our stress levels. Yet according to the National Sleep Foundation, millions of Americans suffer from lack of sleep, and 60% of adults report problems sleeping several nights a week.

The Sleep Deprived Employee

Sleep deprivation negatively affects work performance and working relationships. Without adequate sleep, employees have more difficulty concentrating, learning, and communicating. Productivity and quality decrease and problem-solving abilities decline. Sleep deprived employees can be moody and less tolerant of co-workers ideas and opinions, making them more prone to reactionary outbursts and other relationship destroying behaviors. Work relationship problems can impact the entire organization and contribute to inefficiency and job dissatisfaction.

In Ohio we return to Daylight Savings Time beginning at 2:00am local time on Sunday, March 8th. As we spring forward and advance our clocks one hour, it’s important to consider how this small change can affect our sleep. In general, “losing” an hour in the spring is more difficult to adjust to than “gaining” an hour in the fall. The “earlier” bedtime may cause difficulty falling asleep and increased wakefulness during the early part of the night.

To help improve your sleep and perform your best, try following these suggestions: Maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule (including weekends), establish a regular bedtime routine, try to sleep 7-9 hours per night, keep the bedroom at a comfortable temperature, finish eating at least 2-3 hours before your bedtime, limit fluids after 8:00pm, and exercise regularly at least a few hours before bedtime.

Are you Sleep Deprived or could you have a Sleep Disorder?

• Are you often cranky? Do you have trouble thinking at work?
• Do you snore?
• Do you find it hard to stay awake while driving, watching TV, reading a book, or attending a meeting?
• Do you wake up with a morning headache?
• Do you often get told by others that you look tired?
• Do you ever wake up choking, gasping for air, or have a skipping or rapid heartbeat during the night?

Download: Get Your Zzzz’s – March 2020