Sleep: What is ‘good sleep’ and how can we support employees to get more of it?

Date: 25th November 2024

Sleep is an essential part of being human and is important for our physical and mental functioning. Getting enough good quality sleep helps us:

To feel energised and well
To regulate our emotions
To manage stress
To make decisions
To solve problems
To focus and concentrate
To register and organize memories
To recognise danger or see threats
To repair muscles, joints and tissues
To fight off disease and infection

Yet, I am sure we have all have had times in our lives when we have struggled to get the amount or quality of sleep we need. When we have woken up feeling unrefreshed, foggy, confused and just plain tired. Whether this has just been for the odd night or for a longer period, it can cause us a huge amount of anxiety and stress. But what is normal? And how can we make sure we are getting enough?

What is normal for sleep?

You will often see or hear the statistic around us “needing 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night” to stay physically and mentally well. Whilst it’s true – adults under 65 need around 7-9 hours of sleep a night, our exact sleep needs are very individual. Some people will function very well of 5 or 6 hours, whilst others struggle with less than 8 or 9. Our sleep needs also change as we move through life – we tend to need more sleep during childhood, puberty/adolescence and pregnancy and less as we age. But this is not true for everyone. Sleep can also take a hit through major life transitions like becoming a parent, going through menopause, or when going through major life stresses or changes. Think moving house, getting married, taking a promotion at work, family illness etc. The important bit is to tune into how you feel – do you wake up feeling ready to take on the day? Or diving back under the duvet, with a thick, heavy head and bleary eyes? If it’s the latter, try some of my top tips below!

How can I ensure I am getting enough ‘good sleep’?

Thankfully there are many things you can do to support your body when heading off to the land of nod:
Having a consistent sleep schedule which you stick to as much as possible, even on weekends or days off!
Focusing good hydration during the day and reducing liquid intake in the hour or so before bed, to reduce those toilet trips during the night.
Spending time each day outside as this supports the different hormones involved in sleep
Getting regular exercise – but not in the hour or two before bed
Avoiding stimulants like caffeine, alcohol, smoking or a heavy meal late in the evening
Creating a cosy, comfy bedroom that just begs to be slept in!
Developing a calming wind-down routine to remind your body it’s time for bed – think meditation, reading or other calming activities
Listening to meditations, sleep casts or relaxing sounds as you drift off to sleep
Journaling your worries and anxieties before you head to bed – this really helps if you find them running around your brain as you’re trying to drift off
Creating a strong bed-sleep connection – keeping work, laptops, social media scrolling etc. away from the bedroom. I know, I know, watching cute animal videos or checking social media are ‘musts’ before bed, but this can really disrupt the connection in our brains, making it harder to sleep long-term.

Remember, we all have times when sleep is harder to reach, especially when life gets busy, or we are going through major life changes. For many these tips will help, but if you feel that it’s becoming more of an issue, or if its impacting on how you feel or your ability to cope the next day then you must reach out to your GP or another health professional and get some support.

What about as an employer, how can I support my employees if they are struggling with sleep, and it’s impacts at work?

As an employer you will understand the importance of having a well-rested, productive, thriving, happy workforce. But what, realistically, can you do to support employees who are struggling with sleep, or it’s impacts at work:

Create an open, supportive environment where employees can talk about any challenges without blame or judgment. This enables employees to reach out and get the support they need but also frees up their mental energy for more complex work-based tasks.
Create a no-blame, learning environment where mistakes are not seen as mistakes or failures, but as learning experiences
Enable employees to work flexibly (within current policies) to manage sleep issues effectively – this could include ad-hoc home working, flexible start and finish times or the inclusion of ‘duvet days’ in your annual leave allowance.
Provide all employees with sleep awareness training to support them if there are knowledge gaps around good sleep
Provide access to meditations, sleep casts or apps which can support sleep
Provide time and space in employees schedules for exercise or short down time – this could be the ability to take extended lunch breaks or have flexible start and finish times etc.
Consider adding walking meetings to your meeting toolkit (if appropriate) so employees can get outside during the day

Deciding on exactly what level and type of support you can provide will depend on the size of your organisation, the type of work involved, your available budget and the needs of your employees. Sometimes the best place to start is to ask employees what support they would like to see at work. Whatever you choose, remember that having that open, supportive, no-blame culture will mean employees are more likely to open up and share what they need to thrive at work.

Did you know… RCS run courses and support sessions on sleep. If you are interested in booking email workshops@rcs-wales.co.uk.