Struggling to get enough shut-eye? We’ve all been there, wide awake at 3am, staring at the clock, counting sheep, unable to fall back asleep until we drag ourselves out of bed to go to work, exhausted. A good night’s sleep plays an important role in the health of your staff. Getting less than the recommended seven to nine hours sleep can affect how your staff think, react, work and learn, as well as having an impact on relationships. Equally, many aspects of our lives influence the quality of sleep including our hours of work, daily commute, the sleep environment, and alcohol and caffeine intake. If your workplace is involved with shift work, it’s even more important to think about how your staff manage their home life, social life and work commitments to ensure they balance getting enough sleep. Regular exercise and a healthy diet are both crucial to wellbeing.
Health New Zealand recommends incorporating physical activity into your daily routine whenever possible. For example encourage staff to walk, cycle or use public transport to get to work. Take a few minutes out during the day to stretch, have walking meetings, and use the stairs rather than the lift. Encouraging staff to bring their own food to work helps avoid the temptation of canteen food or vending machines. Or even better, provide a healthy food environment at work by offering healthy onsite meals and snack options. Another great tip is to provide your staff with a refillable drink bottle and access to water to ensure they get plenty of fluids throughout their day. This will help make the healthy choice the easy choice. Anyone who has persistent trouble sleeping, and who is chronically fatigued during normal waking hours, should see their doctor.
For more information and great tips on sleep visit the Healthify website
