March is National Bed Month, and here at Day Translations, we’re throwing the saying of “you snooze, you lose” right out the window! Our hyper-connected and “always-on” working culture often sees us getting far less than the desired amount of shut-eye every night, and it’s much more harmful to our health than most of us are willing to admit!
A lack of sleep can fundamentally hinder your ability to perform at your peak at work and lead to damaging physical and even emotional side effects. The hidden dangers of sleep deprivation are hidden threats that everyone needs to pay attention to.
What Happens When You Don’t Sleep Enough?
Sleep isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s an absolute necessity so your body can restore and repair itself. Chronic insomnia can affect the way you think, learn, react, and get along with others. If you don’t get enough quality sleep, the parts of your brain in charge of regulating emotions are undermined, which can be just as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol.
Sleep-deprived individuals often lack the motivation and drive necessary to advance in their careers and learn new skills. One study suggests that sleep-deprived employees can cost their companies up to $2,280 per year in lost productivity.
Negative Effects Sleep Deprivation Can Have on Your Career
#1 Sleep Deprivation Can Cause Decreased Performance and Productivity
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine states that healthy adults need a minimum of seven hours of sleep each night. Not getting enough sleep can lead to lower performance in the workplace caused by tiredness. It can also be hard to stay focused when you’re tired, and it might take you longer to complete tasks and generate new ideas when you’re tired.
#2 It Impacts Physical Health
There are significant physical effects of tiredness, with lethargy being the most common symptom of poor sleep. Other adverse physical symptoms can also include heartburn and palpitations. Numerous studies indicate clear connection between quality sleep and the quality of an individual’s physical health. A decreased immune function makes you more susceptible to illnesses, which can keep you away from work and damage your career.
#3 Tiredness Can Damage Emotional and Psychological Wellbeing
The quantity and quality of your sleep have a direct impact on the way you feel. Some serious psychological effects of insomnia include hallucinations, paranoia, mania, and even memory loss, which can be detrimental on the job. But even the subtle effects of bad sleeping habits can affect your career since it might be more challenging to maintain social relationships in the workplace when you’re moody due to poor sleep.
#4 It Can Impact Decision-Making
Along with the emotional impact that sleep deprivation can cause, it can also take a toll on your cognitive abilities like judgment and decision-making. Diminished cognitive performance can have massive repercussions on your professional life if your role demands attention to detail, particularly if you work in the language services industry as a translator or simultaneous interpreter.
How To Improve Your Sleep
If you want to pave your way to professional success and prevent inadequate sleep’s adverse effects on your career, the first and most powerful step is to develop a plan of action to tackle your sleep problems. Here are some ideas that might help:
Create A Sleep Schedule
Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day reinforces your natural sleep-wake cycle. Try to create a routine for going to bed and waking up and stick to it, even over weekends and your vacation time. This consistency will go along way toward resetting and keeping your natural clock ticking.
Daily Workouts
There’s nothing wrong with a few minutes of light exercise before bed, as long as it’s not high-intensity. Walking or cycling before bed can dramatically improve your sleep since exercise reduces stress and can help reset the sleep-wake cycle because it elevates your body temperature and tires you out.
Evaluate Your Diet
Going to bed on an empty stomach isn’t a good idea, but neither is overindulging in food or alcohol if you want to get a good night’s sleep. If you smoke or drink a lot of coffee, keep in mind that nicotine and caffeine are stimulants that can keep you awake at night, which is just another good reason to cut down or quit altogether.
Check Your Environment
Your room needs to be cool and dark so you can ease into slumber. Room-darkening shades and a fan can help create the right ambiance you need to fall (and stay) asleep at night. Put some effort into ensuring your room is sleep-friendly. The rewards will speak for themselves.
Final Thoughts
The effects of a sleep-deprived workforce can be disastrous. The Exxon Valdez oil spill and the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster are just two examples of human error caused by sleepiness and go to show that a good night’s rest goes a long way toward paving the way to professional success.
Better sleep is better for business. Whatever methods you use to remedy your sleep problems, it is essential to keep in mind that adequate sleep isn’t only beneficial to your health but your professional life as well!