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Sleep Debt:
The
Corporate Costs of Skimping on Sleep
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Special to the Austin Business
Journal, May 9, 2008
By Robert Emerson, M.D.
I hear it all the time. Busy executives, company leaders,
working moms and managers from all industries bragging about how
they can get by on five hours of sleep, four hours of sleep, or
even less. You even hear celebrities like Jay Leno talking about
it on TV. Statements like this can make the rest of us feel a
little lazy for wanting to get a solid eight hours of sleep
every night.
But the truth is, skimping on sleep for an extended period of
time can rack up a sleep debt that is more costly than you might
imagine. New research on sleep deprivation reveals a wide range
of negative consequences—from an inability to stay alert, to
lost productivity, to more serious health concerns such as
diabetes and heart disease. But perhaps the most surprising
finding to come out of this research is that most people who are
affected by sleep deprivation don’t even realize it. |
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Luxury vs. necessity
The American Cancer Society did a study back in the 1960s to
determine how much sleep Americans were getting. The median then
was a healthy eight hours. Today, that figure has fallen more
than 15 percent, to a median of 6.7 hours. That means while some
people are still getting the recommended eight hours of sleep,
many people are getting far fewer.
What happened? Somehow we’ve come to view sleep as a luxury of
time—something busy professionals can’t afford. Others view
sleep as an unnecessary nuisance standing between them and their
to-do lists. High-achieving Type A personalities in particular
may have a hard time acknowledging the need for sleep.
As economic pressures place even more importance on business
performance and efficiency, it’s time we looked at the real cost
of sleep deprivation.
The productivity question
One sleep study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania
School of Medicine shows quite clearly the impact on individuals
who routinely get six hours of sleep or less each night. Study
participants who were restricted to four to six hours of sleep
claimed that they felt “only slightly sleepy,” yet their
performance on cognitive tests mirrored that of participants who
hadn’t slept for two or three days. What’s more, these
participants didn’t realize they were performing poorly.
In addition to poor cognitive performance, the participants’
reaction times increased and they were less able to multi-task
successfully. These findings certainly have implications for
today’s business professionals who mistakenly believe that
sleeping fewer hours will make them more productive.
Another belief many people hold is that over time they will
adapt to not getting enough sleep. This hypothesis was tested in
the University of Pennsylvania study and was found to be untrue.
The psychological deficits associated with sleep restriction
increased as the study continued.
A wake-up call for executives
A recent study from Virginia Tech focuses more specifically on
the effects of sleep deprivation on executive functions, testing
advanced cognitive skills that require reasoning and
“situational awareness.” In testing scenarios that reflect the
activities of high-level executives, the sleep-deprived
participants in this study showed degraded decision making
capability and an increase in planning errors. Trying to do
business with impairments like these—even occasionally—can have
substantial repercussions on the company’s bottom line.
Give yourself a sleep makeover
If you are routinely shorting yourself on sleep, it may be time
to consider making a change—for the sake of your health and your
business. Start with these steps:
• Reexamine your belief
system. If you tend to think of sleep as a luxury you can’t
afford—or as a sign of laziness—do some research of your own
to find out what the experts are saying. Their findings may
cause you to reconsider your beliefs.
• Make an honest assessment
of your performance. Do you find yourself making simple
mistakes, getting easily distracted, or having a hard time
remembering details? Do you rely on caffeine or energy drinks
to get you through the day? You may be paying a higher price
for those hours of lost sleep than you realize.
• Seek help if you need it.
It can be difficult to return to a pattern of normal sleep
after an extended period of sleep deprivation. If you’re
having trouble making the transition to a full night’s sleep,
seek the advice of a sleep professional.
Like exercise and a healthy
diet, a good night’s sleep is crucial to your physical and
mental health.
If people are counting on you—at home or at work—make it a
priority.
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Dr. Emerson
is a pulmonologist with The Austin Diagnostic Clinic. He is
board certified in sleep medicine by the American Board of
Internal Medicine and is the director of the Sleep Lab at
North Austin Medical Center.
The Facts about Sleep Debt
Research is showing that some of our long-held assumptions
about sleep and performance may be very wrong. Lack of sleep
can result in reduced work productivity and impaired judgment.
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A growing trend.
Americans are sleeping less. The amount of sleep Americans
report
getting each night has fallen from eight hours to a median
of 6.7 hours, a decrease of
15 percent in the last 40 years according to the American
Cancer Society. |
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Decreased productivity.
The National Sleep Foundation reports that six percent of
working adults miss work within a three-month period
because of fatigue.
The cost to business. The estimated cost to American
business of sleep deprivation and sleep disorders is over
$100 billion annually in lost productivity, medical
expenses, property
and environmental damage. |
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Risk of accidents.
The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine sleep
deprivation
study showed that subjects who slept four to six hours
each night suffered lapses that
would put them at risk when flying an airplane or driving. |
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Increased impairment.
The Penn study also found that people did not adapt over
time to less sleep; instead, impairment became greater
with each day of continued
sleep deprivation. |
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