In the words of Alanis Morisette – isn’t it ironic. In this case it just might be. As I write this piece on the importance of sleep, it would seem fitting that last night’s effort was a complete failure.
I’m not alone it would seem – the decline in sleep quality and inadequate levels of restorative sleep continues to grow globally. We are fast becoming a sleep deprived society. This has no doubt been amplified during the most stressful and uncertain period we have endured in generations.
In my case, I’m fortunate that last night was an outlier, uncommon in its frequency, but damaging nonetheless. For a large group of people however, this is the norm. And the effects on health and wellbeing can be devastating.
Good quality sleep is essential for our capacity to function and thrive. Studies are now suggesting that anything less than 7 hours sleep is damaging to our health. It’s important to understand an acute or chronic lack of quality sleep can have far reaching impacts on the following:
- Obesity and diabetes
- Depression and anxiety
- Immune system
- Cardiovascular system
- Brain function
- Hormone regulation
- Memory and cognitive function (with implications for Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease)
- Ageing
- Reproductive system
- DNA and gene activity
- Chronic inflammation
- Cancer
- Metabolism
The significant health effects of sleep deprivation
Sleep deprivation has been shown to significantly reduce natural killer cell activity by up to 70 percent.These cells play a major role in the body’s defense or immune response. They actively seek out cancerous cells and destroy them. Studies have implicated this immune deficiency in the increased risk of bowel, prostate and and breast cancer.
During daylight saving it has been shown there is a 24 percent increase in heart attacks the very next day due to the loss of just one hour of sleep.
During daylight saving it has been shown there is a 24 percent increase in heart attacks the very next day due to the loss of just one hour of sleep. Conversely when we gain that hour of sleep there is a 21% drop in the frequency of heart attack on the following day. A similar profile has been shown to exist with car crashes and suicide rates.
As we age our sleep quality gets worse and studies have indicated that the disruption of deep sleep is an important factor contributing to cognitive decline or memory decline in ageing. Which in turn has implications for the onset of dementia and Alzeimers disease.
Testosterone levels in males who sleep five hours or less have been shown to be the equivalent to that of a male ten years their senior.
Depression and sleep disturbances are commonly found to co-exist, one influencing the other. Various studies worldwide have shown the prevalence of insomnia in 10- 30 percent of the population, with some rates as high as 50- 60 percent. Depression, impaired work performance, work-related/motor vehicle accidents have all been shown to have an increased incidence in this group of people.
Epidemiological data increasingly suggests that short sleep duration or chronic partial sleep deprivation may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Further to this, sleep deprivation has been shown to have an impact on appetite and in turn obesity through a hormone regulated pathway. To this end sleep hygiene counselling has been suggested as an important tool in the management of obesity.
What does all of this mean in the workplace health and safety space?
It’s incumbent on the employer to ensure the health and safety of their workforce. Where encouraging health strategies and providing resources to aid in optimal health is possible, it makes sense to do so. A well rested and attentive employee is a safe employee. Fatigue and poor concentration undoubtedly contributes to a great many workplace accidents leading to subsequent injury.
Adding to this, comorbidities associated with lack of good quality sleep, such as obesity, diabetes, depression and anxiety, chronic inflammation and compromised immune function, bring with them barriers to recovery.
Implications for the shift worker
Shift work has been associated with a wide spectrum of health consequences and is currently classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and also World Health Organisation (WHO) as a probable carcinogen or contributing factor in the development of cancer. This has been linked to the disruption of the body’s circadian rhythms or sleep-wake cycle and is at the extreme end of the spectrum. The aforementioned health complications have been found to be amplified in the shift worker.
It is suggested that a clockwork progression of shift work be employed where a rotating schedule is used to minimise the impact on the sleep-wake cycle. Having an onsite injury management program can help assist in the management of health and wellbeing of shift workers. Screening tools can be implemented to help screen for health issues related to sleep.
Providing resources and strategies to aid in good sleep hygiene is an easy and cost effective measure to help improve the health and wellbeing of the workforce. An onsite injury management program can help screen for any underlying sleep disturbance problems impacting the workforce. A worker can be provided with strategies to help manage the issue or be referred on to the appropriate healthcare provider.
An onsite injury management program can help screen for any underlying sleep disturbance problems impacting the workforce.
Providing resources and strategies to aid in good sleep hygiene is an easy and cost effective measure to help improve the health and wellbeing of the workforce. An onsite injury management program can help screen for any underlying sleep disturbance problems impacting the workforce. A worker can be provided with strategies to help manage the issue or be referred on to the appropriate healthcare provider.
Life brings with it its stressors. Add to this the unknown and daunting COVID-19 landscape. Maintaining quality and restorative sleep routines while the mind continues to wander late into the night becomes very difficult.
For me the challenge has been to slow my racing thoughts and quiet an active mind. There’s no doubt sleep impacts performance. So maintaining a good routine is critical. As Alanis points out, “Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you.” You have to look after your sleep, because it looks after you.