Better Sleep = Better Management

Were you aware that it is recommended the average adult should get seven to nine hours of sleep a night to feel healthy?

How much do YOU get?

How much sleep do you get? Honestly? Scientists from Oxford University claim we are getting one to two hours less sleep per night than we did in the 1960s.?An article on BBC Worklife illustrates how the modern world is full of things that reduce sleep: caffeine, alcohol, screen time and even the night temperature in our homes play a part.

I want you to think, how much less sleep do you get a night compared to when you were I your 20’s?

If adults are getting one to two hours less sleep per night, that is seven to 14 hours per week, and 30 to 60 less hours a month.

What is this doing to our bodies, our productivity at work, how we cope under pressure, our mental health?

What happens to our bodies when we don’t sleep?

Many things that many of us are not aware of. We need to be aware of these as managers, as our teams can really be affected if they’re not sleeping. Here are five consequences of not sleeping:

1. ????Impaired judgement.
2. ???Impaired concentration.
3. ????Immune system suppressed, so prone to illness.
4. ????Reaction time is slower, causing accidents.
5. ????Emotions are heightened causing irritability, anger, and anxiety.

The benefits of good sleep

So, let’s look at the positives. The benefits of a good night’s sleep outweigh the drawbacks. Here are the benefits:

1. ????Increased energy for more productivity.
2. ????Improved concentration to complete tasks correctly.
3. ????Greater capacity to learn new methods and systems.
4. ????Improved immune system function, causing less illness, so fewer sick days.
5. ????Advanced autophagy, helping the body to stay healthy, meaning less long-term illness and disease.
6. ????Better memory to save time on completing tasks.
7. ????Reduced stress level, meaning better relationships with colleagues and clients.

It is so important to be aware of these if we are managing teams, as lack of sleep for our teams can really affect coping at work.

Our teams have enough pressure at work. We want them to deliver with 100% health, and sleep will help.

Quality rules

Quality sleep is also of high importance. I know there are times when I have had eight hours sleep, but I do not feel refreshed in the morning. The deeper the sleep, the more refreshed we will feel.?How can we help our teams have better sleep?

Here are seven Top Tips for better quality sleep:

1)????Establish a regular bedtime and waking time.

2)????Avoid technology which emits blue light at least an hour before bedtime.

3)????Keep your sleep environment cool – the optimum bedroom temperature is about 16-18°.

4)????Use blackout curtains/blind to make your room as dark as possible.

5)????Watch what you eat and when you eat it.

6)????Limit caffeine at least 6 hours before bed, switch for a bedtime tea such as chamomile instead.

7)????Try a pillow spray, which usually has a lavender scent.

On the other hand, what do you do if you are lying in bed and cannot fall asleep? Here are two simple exercises.

1) You could try a Breathing Exercise formatted to help you drift off to sleep. You simply place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, right behind your teeth, the inhale for a count of 3, hold for a count of 5 and exhale slowly for a count of 7, as if you are gently blowing out a candle. Do this a few times and feel yourself drift off. The exhalation is longer than the inhalation, enabling you to control the speed of breath, feeling more relaxed.

2) Have you heard of PMR – Progressive Muscle Relaxation? This is another method to help you fall asleep more easily where you tense an area of muscles in your body as you inhale and relax them as you exhale. Here is a link to an exercise on YouTube:?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nZEdqcGVzo

World Sleep Day

It is World Sleep Day on Friday 18th March. Let’s help ourselves, as well as our teams develop more positive sleep habits. It will help them be more productive, complete tasks correctly, learn new methods and systems more easily, have fewer sick days and build better relationships.

If you want to develop a strategy to give your managers the skills and support to lead with confidence, with a core focus on emotional fitness and positive mental health, book a strategy call here.?https://calendly.com/novaassociates/strategy-call

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