As we are now well and truly in the second half of the year, some of us may be finding it a little harder than usual to get out of bed in the morning. While this can be a normal part of getting through a busy year, it can be important to take stock of how we are doing in the sleep department. So, if you need more than your usual amount of coffee in the morning to face the day or are at the point where you sincerely wish sleep would stop getting in the way of everything you have to do, read on.

In today’s fast-paced world, the significance of sleep on overall performance cannot be overstated. Whether we like it or not, research continues to shed light on the profound ways that the quality of our sleep can impact both our professional achievements and personal well-being.

So first, why is sleep so paramount?

We still do not know all the ins and outs of the function of sleep, but what we do know is that it plays a pivotal and vital role in maintaining physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Research has shown that during sleep, the body undergoes essential restorative processes, such as tissue repair, muscle growth, and hormone regulation. This restorative phase is crucial for maintaining a robust immune system and overall physical health and allows the brain to essentially ‘take out the trash’ before beginning a new day.

As such, sleep plays a fundamental role in cognitive function, memory consolidation, and learning. This is because the process of learning involves encoding and acquiring new information. During wakefulness, the brain is continuously processing and assimilating vast amounts of data. However, it is during sleep that the brain truly shines in consolidating these new memories. One of the key phases of sleep, known as slow-wave sleep (SWS) or deep sleep, is especially crucial for learning. During SWS, the brain undergoes memory reactivation, where recently acquired explicit information is replayed and transferred from our short-term memory into our long-term memory. “What about REM sleep?” we hear you ask. REM sleep or Rapid Eye Movement sleep, occurs after we pass through SWS and is also important for learning. However, it is more highly associated with the consolidation of implicit memories, that is, the tasks that we can do without consciously thinking about them, such as our habits. Importantly, the reason why blue light emitted from our devices can be problematic for sleep is that it tricks the brain into thinking it is daytime (as blue light waves are also emitted by the sun), making it harder to enter SWS and REM sleep early in our sleep cycle. So, if you find yourself waking feeling unrested, putting devices away an hour before bed (even if reading or scrolling makes you sleepy) really is helpful in getting enough of this deep, restorative sleep.

Also helpful for memory and learning, is the fact that sleep has been found to enhance synaptic plasticity, the brain’s ability to strengthen connections between neurons. This process, known as long-term potentiation, promotes the consolidation of new information and the integration of knowledge with existing memory networks. In essence, if you are trying to change a habit or learn a new skill then sleep is your best friend, as it allows all the new neural pathways you are spending time and energy creating to strengthen

Lastly (but certainly not least), you may have heard the adage “if you hate the world, eat something, if you think the world hates you, sleep”. This has some truth to it as sleep is instrumental in regulating mood, reducing stress, and improving our critical thinking and problem-solving skills. When we get enough sleep, we are better at everything, including how good we are at regulating our emotions and perceiving and interpreting others and the world around us.

Now, after taking into consideration all the above, it becomes clear why getting enough, good quality sleep enables us to perform at our best across the various cognitive tasks daily life throws our way. As leaders, we can play a crucial role in shaping the organisational culture and creating an environment that values and supports employee well-being, including their sleep habits. Here are some strategies you can implement to improve the way sleep is approached within your team:

Educate Yourself: Understand the recommendations around sleep and how different people need different amounts of sleep to function at their best. Figure out what works best for you and how you can maximise the quality of your sleep. For example, you may have heard we typically need seven to eight hours of sleep a night to function optimally. But did you know that this changes across the lifespan and can be impacted on by things such as neurodiversity, physical health, and mental wellbeing?

Educate Employees: Start by raising awareness about the importance of sleep and what constitutes good sleep hygiene. Share information and resources on the benefits of good sleep, potential consequences of sleep deprivation, and tips for improving sleep quality. For example, did you know that drinking alcohol reduces the quality of your sleep, even though it may help you fall asleep faster? This is because as it is metabolised, it prevents us from entering the all-important SWS (or deep sleep). So, while its sedative effect can help us to relax and fall asleep, we aren’t getting the quality sleep we need.

Set the Example: Lead by example and demonstrate good sleep habits yourself. In particular, avoid sending work-related emails or messages late at night, as this can inadvertently encourage employees to be ‘switched on’ or available and responsive during non-work hours.

Flexible Work Hours: Everyone is different and not all of us fit into the nine-to-five pattern of work. Offer flexible work hours where possible, allowing employees to adjust their schedules to align with their natural sleep patterns and demands of daily life. Doing this can also help employees avoid long commutes during peak traffic hours and allow them to get enough rest. Below is a link to a sleep chronotype test that is a fun way to discover which sleep pattern you (and your team members) may be:

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/chronotype-quiz