A recent National Sleep Survey conducted by Nielsen Malaysia has shown that 9 out of 10 Malaysians suffers from one or more sleep disorders. Many employees do not know how to manage sleep and understand the link to their performance at work. Employers too has little understanding about sleep and they feel that by getting employees to spend a lot of time at work, they will be able to increase productivity. This is absolutely wrong.
Sleep deprivation effects your cognitive functions that dis-allow your multiple mental abilities such as capability to think, understand, remember, reason, pay attention, problem solving and decision making. Sacrificing sleep for work and then working more to make up for lost on productivity can become a non-productive cycle. It is time for all (Employers and Employees) to understand the links between sleep and job performance which can empower employees with the knowledge needed to end this pattern.
Being sleepy affects the ability to drive safely as it makes a person:
- Less able to pay attention to the road
- Slows on reaction time (in case if a person need to brake or steer suddenly)
- Unable to make good decisions
Sleep loss can make it more challenging to maintain focus, attention, and vigilance. Feeling drowsy and trying to stay awake takes a lot of mental energy, making it more difficult to stay focused on long tasks and those that require concentration. This decrease in focus may be related to the impact of microsleep. Drowsy driving is a dangerous combination of driving when sleepy. This usually happens when a driver has not slept enough, but it can also happen because of untreated sleep disorders, shift work and other reasons such as medications and alcohol which can interact with sleepiness to increase both impairment and drowsiness.
People who are sleep deprived are also more likely to make errors and omissions. This means that tired employees take more time to react in critical situations and may be more likely to make a mistake. Employees can be more irritable, angry, and vulnerable to stress. In stressful or negative situations emotional reactions are amplified , leading to overreacting at inappropriate times. Stress and irritability felt during the workday can then carry over into home life, making it more difficult to fall asleep. Over time, chronic sleep loss increases the risk of more serious mental health conditions, like anxiety and depression, that can make being productive at work even more challenging
Sleep supports nearly every system in the body. Sleep loss affects growth, stress hormones, immune system, appetite, breathing, blood pressure and cardiovascular health. Research shows that lack of sleep also increases the risk for obesity and infections.
The rejuvenation provided by sleep is vital for our ability to think clearly, learn new information, and manage our emotions. Chronic sleep deprivation can have even more drastic consequences, including an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
This is the first and the only programme available in Asia focusing on Sleep Recovery & Fatigue Management. The programme is led by Associate Professor Dr Louis Adaikalam who is the current President of Malaysia Sleep Apnea Association.
This programme helps employers to identify employees with sleep deprivation and fatigue issues at work place and ways to overcome these issues which entails in an increase in productivity, reduction on medical claims, industrial and commuting accidents. The programme comprises of sleep assessment, monitoring, sleep management and consultation.
The certification awarding body for this programme will be Advancing Business Education, UK (ABE). ABE’s qualifications have been developed to the exacting standards issued for regulated qualification in England (ABE is recognised by Ofqual).