5 Ways to Prompt Your Employees to Sleep More Is your company an assemblage of the drowsy. Encourage members of your team to catch up on rest in these ways.
By Heather R. Huhman Edited by Dan Bova
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Famous nappers such as Albert Einstein and President Ronald Reagan have proved that even the most successful people need time to sleep.
A new study by Ceridian indicated that 53 percent of organizations surveyed create schedules that actively encourage sleep deficiency. Unfortunately, this causes employees to be tired and unproductive at work.
Here are five ways to encourage employees to get more sleep:
Related: Conquer Stress and Master Sleep for a Richer Life
1. Limit working hours.
If employees are staying at work well beyond their required hours, maybe it's time to create boundaries.
For example, prevent employees from working too much by shutting off access to the email server at 5 p.m. Companies such as Volkswagen have implemented a such a rule. In 2011, the carmaker decided to shut off Blackberry servers that sent emails once an employee was done working for the day. Volkswagen employees gain access to their emails 30 minutes before their work shift and lose access 30 minutes after leaving work.
2. Stage walking meetings.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found that insomniacs who spend 45 minutes to 60 minutes in the morning walking experienced a more restful night of sleep. This is because exposure to sunlight helps the human body readjust its circadian sleep cycle.
Instead of hosting meetings in a boring board room, consider injecting some energy into them. For instance, take meetings outside or to an indoor track where managers and employees can gather to discuss projects while they keep up a good pace. This is a great way to make sure employees are productive and active simultaneously.
Related: Chill Out With These 7 Office Relaxation Tips
3. Provide flexible work schedules.
If employees are prone to burnout, offer them with ample time to recover from work.
For example, grant unlimited paid vacation so employees can take off when they feel like they need to. By doing this, employees will experience more work-life balance and will be less likely to experience burnout at work.
4. Delegate fewer projects.
When employees are overwhelmed with many projects, they may be sleeping less at night because of stress. The reality is, many employees think they can successfully take on more than they can handle. This is why it might be a good idea to limit the number of assignments employees receive.
5. Allow some napping on the job.
Over recent years, workplace napping has become a popular trend. Companies such as the Huffington Post Media Group and Google provide napping quarters.
If employees are sleep deprived and weary, encourage them to take naps. Whether it's breaking away for a nap at lunch time or catching some sleep later in the afternoon, this can be a great way to boost employees' energy at work.
How do you encourage employees to get more sleep?
Related: How Small Changes in the Workplace Can Improve Your Sleeping Habits
