3 things you need to know about sleep... part 2

This week, I am on the yearly conference for the Swedish Sleep Research Society, to which I am one of the board members. I am amazed by all the interesting sleep research we have in Sweden, and one of my favorite symposium was about sleep & social interactions with the researchers John Axelsson and Tina Sundelin.

Here are some of my favorite take-homes from the session:

Perhaps this doesn't come as a surprise to you... At least I can certainly identify this feeling. When I am sleep deprived or feel sleepy for other reasons, I am much more likely to want to isolate myself from people I don't know so well, trying to avoid eye contact with that person I meet on the street that I recognise from somewhere. I don't want to risk having an initial "hi" turning into a conversation...

But you can also remember that research seem to indicate that when a sleep deprived person actually DO engage in social interactions, this still tends to feel good in the end.

When we are engaging in social interactions, it can increase our alertness. Social situations matter a great deal for us humans and they require a certain level of attention to the other person, so it does make sense that social interactions can increase the body's activation level and recruit resources, even if we are sleep deprived.

But social interactions can result in increased tiredness afterwards and actually improve sleep and help us to sleep longer. Similar to the effect of physical activity on sleep.

We know that sleep matters a great deal for our health and wellbeing. So does loneliness.

Perhaps sleep-promoting measures can reduce loneliless?

Perhaps social activities can help sleep?

The question is also, how does this matter for you as a leader or part of a team?

You can...

... recognise that sleep deprived colleages - or even yourself - or people suffering from sleep problems and sleepiness, may try to avoid or withdraw from social interactions

... promote positive social interactions, as this can help you and your colleagues to increase alertness, improve sleep and have the potential to play an important role for reducing loneliness

Remember that a healthy and well-functioning workplace pose a great opportunity for positive social interactions. Which in turn could help sleep, wellbeing and reduce loneliness ??