How we sleep at night can influence how we feel the next day at the workplace. When you awaken, do you notice how you feel and relate it to how you slept the night before? Three common outcomes of too little sleep are a low mood, low patience, and a high sensitivity to aches and pains. And yet for millions of Americans, insufficient sleep time is part of their weekly burden. Research tells us that these negative consequences spill over into our workday, making sleep a critical target for employee wellness initiatives. 
To understand the spill-over effect of insufficient sleep, a new study analyzed daily diaries to understand the downstream impacts on their workday. And as you may expect, as sleep time goes unfulfilled, we lose our ability to control these factors, affecting our workplace. A fatigued employee has less motivation to complete daily tasks, a lack of focus, and increased mistakes and accidents. The outcomes identified three psychological factors that explain the relationship between sleep and employee effectiveness: emotional regulation, mental energy, and mood.
First, sleep time gives the brain a chance to fully reset its ability to regulate the emotions we express. And one way this manifests is a lack of impulse control because insufficient sleep predicts a higher risk of emotional outbursts, particularly for expressing frustration. Eager to move past an awkward interpersonal moment, or want to laugh off your coworker’s careless blunder? This is more difficult if last night didn’t feature enough sleep. And employee motivation also suffers, because research shows insufficient sleep can stifle workplace motivation and career aspirations. 
Second, sleepy adults lack the mental energy that helps us resist repetitive negative thoughts. These thoughts can magnify small frustrations because similar to emotional regulation, sleepy adults struggle to move on from difficulties. Aggression and defensiveness are also higher the day after a poor night’s sleep. As a result, workplace cooperativity and communication suffer from insufficient sleep. In fact, studies show that insufficient sleep leads to higher workplace interpersonal conflict, including a higher likelihood of abusive and deceptive behavior. Clearly, this spells trouble for teams who need friendly cooperation for optimal efficiency!
Third, a worker’s daily attitude reflects sleep quality. And one problem is that bad moods can be contagious, especially in workplace environments that hinge on social interaction and communication. Studies suggest that low mood can make us less sociable and that negative outlook spreads to others around us. All of this underscores the value of a good night’s sleep!
The results of sleep studies indicate that when employees have enough sleep, they have better regulatory resource availability, higher positive affect, and greater subjective vitality. And the outcomes of sufficient sleep include better engagement and performance. Furthermore, employees who understand the relationship between sleep duration and productivity do place importance on achieving a good night’s rest and improved sleep routines. 
Encourage a healthy sleep schedule in the workplace. Promote the value of sufficient sleep and provide resources and education on improving sleep habits. For instance, post reminders about creating a conducive sleep environment, schedule a sleep challenge, provide education about the importance of sleep and encourage sleepy workers to talk to their physicians to address underlying causes. Employees are more likely to address apnea and insomnia in workplaces where sleep is brought up routinely.
Encourage a positive work environment by incorporating elements of appreciation and humor in your communications. Company-wide efforts to highlight what is going well can help the group feel more connected and successful. Use these positive check-ins to remind your team of the health benefits you have secured for them that are often underutilized. By framing these benefits as ways to maintain a positive mood and support a healthy work culture, employers can provide tangible evidence that employers truly care about their well-being.
Help employees manage their regulatory resources by ensuring they have options that support their mental well-being. Ensure they take scheduled breaks and avoid eating lunch at their desk. Implement strategies like micro-breaks, stretching sessions, walk ‘n talk meetings, or optional mindfulness exercises to ensure employees have options to relax throughout the day. And provide greater autonomy in work tasks to help them feel more in control of their work day.
The value of sleep cannot be overstated. It impacts work and home life and is crucial for emotional regulation, mental energy, and mood. That’s why Treo places sleep-supporting tools right in your employee’s hands with diverse options to help them make improvements. Whether they peruse sleep stories, breathwork, or educational microlessons about creating the perfect sleep environment, sleep stays top-of-mind. We also offer goal-setting and sleep-tracking options, along with the support of a Certified Wellness Coach, to ensure your team can make progress on their personal health goals. Interested in learning more? Email us at info@treowellness.com
As Treo’s Global Wellness Researcher, Karlie uses recent research findings to support healthier daily habits. Karlie earned her doctorate in Neuroscience and Behavior and bachelors in Health and Exercise Science.
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