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The amount of sleep your employees are getting could impact your business more than you realize. Around 75 % of adults suffer from at least one sign of insomnia at least once every month or even more. Studies show that adults require 7 to 9 hours of rest every night to be optimal.
The socioeconomic impact of unsatisfactory sleeping in the United States in 2011 was estimated to be between 63 billion dollars and 91 billion dollars annually. More specifically, shift workers’ indirect and direct healthcare costs vary between 30 to 40 billion dollars each year.
What Does Research Show?
We sought to determine the effects of sleep deprivation on salespeople from business to business by gathering information from 320 salespeople by conducting a cross-industry survey.
Respondents were classified: group 1 with an average of more than seven hours per night and group 2, which said they slept less than 6 hours per night. The results were analyzed using seven main factors:
- Perceived support for the organization: Does the employee feel appreciated by their employer, and if they are concerned about their health?
- Perceived support from supervisors: Does the employee feel appreciated and respected by their boss?
- Satisfaction with work: Do employees feel satisfied with their work and job?
- Engagement of the organization: How attached to an employee’s employer feel?
- The intention to leave: Does the employee have any plans to quit their job soon?
- Happyness: Does the worker seem satisfied with their overall performance and have an upbeat attitude?
- Grit: Does your employee tackle obstacles head-on, conquer obstacles, failures, and plateaus?
The Outputs
Our findings show that more time spent sleeping significantly improves the employee’s grit and reduces the likelihood of turnover. But, employees who did not sleep for less than 6 hours per night experienced greater supervisory and organizational support, higher satisfaction at work, and higher commitment to their organizations. Most surprisingly, there was no significant variation between the two groups in terms of satisfaction levels. While this research suggests that companies would prefer sleep-deprived employees, as it will boost the perception of job satisfaction, support, and commitment to the organization while slowing the turnover rate, this isn’t the most recommended method of operation.
Does This Mean Anything For Your Business?
For sales companies, this research has intriguing implications for sales organizations. A substantial amount of previous research has been focused on the negative consequences of poor sleep on businesses and individuals alike. Some of the negative effects are lost productivity, slower employee decision-making, higher absence rates, increased medical costs, higher accident rates, and decreased morale. As a result, companies must not aim to have sleep-deprived employees. Instead, companies must ensure they offer sufficient levels of support to ensure employees feel at ease.
Read Also: Sleeping Tips For Seniors
Can You Do Anything To Reduce Your Employee’s Sleep Debt?
The company must encourage salespeople to adopt good sleeping habits by establishing excellent sleep policies. Bronwyn Fryer wrote in the Harvard Business Review article, “An effective sleep policy is the best business practice. Some people think they’re saving money and are more productive than sleeping, however actually, they’re reducing their productivity dramatically.” A few examples of guidelines and policies that sales companies could adopt are:
- Encourage flexible and reasonable working hours.
- No calls, texts, or emails during normal sleeping hours.
- Be aware of the time spent traveling when arranging meetings.
- Limiting or eliminating the use of red-eye planes.
- Informing employees on ways to make a good sleeping environment at home.
- The provision of health care to cover the costs of sleep disorders and risk factors for sleep apnea.
- Reducing the emotional fatigue of employees.
- Offering employees regular, consistent schedules.
- Encouragement of the use of sleep monitoring apps and smartwatches.
- Training supervisors on managing fatigue and sleep.
In providing salespeople with the resources they need to improve their sleep, companies will reap the benefits of grittier sales people while having a high level of satisfaction, support in job satisfaction, and dedication to the organization.
Tips To Proper Sleep To Enhance Your Business
In entrepreneurship, quality sleep is vital to staying productive and focused. While it might be unrealistic to expect everyone to sleep eight hours a night, many entrepreneurs have found that maximizing their amount of rest during the day can lead to improved focus and concentration. Research has shown that individuals with better sleep patterns tend to be more creative and efficient. As a businessperson, you likely have a very busy schedule. Despite your full schedule, you still need to function at a high level. Being rested is crucial to your productivity, and it will ensure you’re at your best the next day. The human body needs a full night of rest. When we’re tired, we’re less likely to make wise decisions. This can lead to poor decision-making, hand-eye coordination, and memory problems.
Getting enough sleep is essential for enhancing business performance. It is also necessary for the proper development of your creativity. Having proper sleep allows your mind to focus and think critically. When you’re tired, your hand-eye coordination is impaired, and your memory will be compromised. You won’t be able to bring your A-game to work unless you’re rested. This means that your productivity will suffer. You also should sleep on a proper size mattress and also you must know the dimensions of your bed.
In Conclusion
In addition to getting enough sleep, a good sleep schedule is essential for maintaining mental and physical health. People who don’t get enough sleep are more likely to experience several physical and mental problems. They can’t focus properly if they’re not rested. But a good night’s sleep is crucial for a healthy mind. So, it’s not surprising that many business professionals find it challenging to get enough rest during the day.