Good night’s sleep
It is estimated that the annual cost of lost sleep to the UK is £30bn, with 200,000 working days lost due to insufficient sleep. (Business in the Community)
Research also shows that there are links between a lack of sleep and increased risks to both physical and mental health, including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, depression and anxiety. A lack of sleep can also make us more vulnerable to infection and raises the risk of accident and injury.
It is recommended that Adults should aim to get between 7 and 9 hours sleep a night (NHS Livewell), but many people struggle with the quantity and quality of sleep they need, reasons can include work-related stress, working anti-social hours, illness and injury, getting older, going through the menopause, family, relationship, financial worries and bereavement.
Possible Signs of Tiredness & Impact on work
Some common signs at work include:
- visibly tired / falling asleep during work
- deterioration in performance
- poor concentration & memory
- poor judgement
- increased accidents and incidents
- poor interpersonal relationships
- increased sickness absence
Employers’ responsibility
Employers have a legal duty to manage risks associated with fatigue and sleep deprivation, regardless of an employee’s willingness to work extra hours or having a preference to work certain shift patterns. Where an employer requires employees to work regular night shifts a health assessment must be offered to the employees before they embark on night work, this can be in the form of a questionnaire or a face to face assessment, although it is not compulsory for an employee to take up this offer.
How can sleep be improved?
Sleep quality and quantity can be improved and some tips on how can be found on the Sleep Councils website, these include making sure the environment is conducive to a good night’s sleep, limiting the use of TVs and smart devices and making some simple changes to what and when you eat and drink in the evenings to aid a more restful sleep https://sleepcouncil.org.uk/seven-steps-to-a-better-nights-sleep/ .
We can run toolbox talks on a variety of wellbeing topics, including Sleep, if you would like to find out more please contact us by calling 01449 766913 or email enquiries@gipping.co.uk
2019 Health Awareness Campaigns in May include
Mental Health Awareness Week – 13-19th May 2019
National Walking Month – 1st – 31st May 2019
Dementia Action Week – 20th – 26th May 2019
Sun Awareness Week – 6th – 12th May 2019