The importance of adequate sleep cannot be overstated. Sleep has many effects on a variety of aspects of our health. The way you feel awake has a link to what kind of sleep you get at night. Poor sleeping habits can lead to an acute sudden incident such as a car crash due to a tired driver or chronic problems over the long term such as a number of health issues.

Research has shown up to 40% of Americans are sleep deprived. This causes many issues in the workplace and at home while completing tasks. For example, driver sleepiness is a factor in about 100,000 car accidents each year, resulting in about 1,500 deaths. Studies have also shown that sleep deprivation can significantly reduce workers’ reaction time, motor control, decision-making ability and situational awareness. This creates an unsafe condition where a worker, or a whole jobsite, is exposed to a potential incident that could cause injury.

• Sleep affects your ability to learn and remember new information.
• It affects your ability to pay attention.
• It affects your heart and cardiovascular system. There is a link between long-term sleep deficiencies and heart disease.
• It affects how your body reacts to insulin. Sleep deficiency leads to higher blood sugar levels; leaving you at a higher chance to be diagnosed with diabetes.

Tips to be Well Rested

• Get at least seven hours of sleep. Studies vary on exactly how much sleep we need but the consensus is between six and eight hours.
• Shut your TV off and place your phone face down. Blue light and other light sources can disrupt your sleep.
• Avoid naps during the day. Naps can throw off your internal clock for rest at night. If napping is a must during the day keep it under 20 minutes.
• Keep your room between 68 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the range that is best for sleeping conditions for most people.
• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every night. This keeps your internal clock on track and your body gets into a routine.

Discussion points:

-Do you feel that you get much sleep every night?

-Have you ever experienced a time where you did not remember driving down the road? How could a situation like that affect our work if it were to happen here?

Sleep and Your Health (source: www.nih.gov)