At Rooost, we believe that the day is made up of three pillars – work, relaxation, sleep – about eight hours of each makes a balanced, effective, enjoyable and productive day!

If one isn’t working well, all three crash down. In this article, we will take a look at sleep; the causes of not getting enough and the impact it has on work and relaxation.

Sleep

How we sleep and how much sleep we need is different for all of us, and it often changes as we get older. Irrespective of this, we can all have evenings when we find it hard to fall asleep – and we can all have evenings when we ourselves wake up in the night. 

Sleep problems usually sort themselves out quite quickly, but longer stretches of bad sleep can start to affect our lives in many different ways. Poor sleep can cause extreme tiredness and make usually manageable tasks harder. When we don't get enough sleep, or our sleep is poor quality, we suffer the short and long-term consequences of sleep deprivation and fatigue. We become more irritable, less patient and less empathic; thinking is sluggish and slower; we are less able to cope with the unexpected. This will impact how you are able to perform your duties at work and reduce your capacity to do the things you enjoy to relax.

If you identify with having problems sleeping, you might be more likely to feel anxious, depressed or suicidal; have psychotic episodes. Poor sleep can trigger mania, psychosis or paranoia, or make existing symptoms worse; feel lonely or isolated (e.g. if you don't have the energy to see people or they don't seem to understand); struggle to concentrate, or make plans and decisions; feel irritable or not have energy to do things; have problems with day to day life – for example, at work or with family and friends; be more affected by other health problems, including mental health problems.

Long-term sleep problems can lead you to feel your relationships are suffering; struggle to maintain a social life; have a hard time doing everyday tasks; feel hungrier and snack more and feel tired during the day.

Top tips for improving your sleep are:

Keep regular hours – Make a habit of going to bed when you feel tired and get up at roughly the same time. This helps teach your body to sleep better. 

Avoid napping – Try to avoid napping where possible.

Confront sleeplessness – If you are lying awake unable to sleep, do not force it. Get up and do something relaxing for a bit, and return to bed when you feel sleepier.

Create a restful environment – A dark, quiet and cool environment generally makes it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Here is a video for tips on how to sleep better.

Understand your worries – If you often lie awake worrying about tomorrow, make it a part of your daily routine before bed to write a list for the next day. This video can help you to tackle your worries and put your mind at rest.

Exercise and sleep better – Being active during the day can help you sleep better. Regular exercise is good for your physical and mental health. It doesn't have to include trips to the gym either – here is a great home workout video.

NB: If vigorous activity near bedtime affects your sleep, it is better to avoid it.

Put down the pick-me-ups – Caffeine and alcohol can stop you falling asleep and prevent deep sleep. Try to cut down on alcohol and avoid caffeine close to bedtime.

It is clear from this, without enough sleep, being the best you can be at work – or even enjoy your relaxation time – is compromised. Rooost endeavours to play the part of ensuring your workforce has the right home-from-home experience to ‘rest at night’; enjoy their downtime; be productive at work! Form more information, get in touch with our team.