Small Businesses Must Recognize the Importance of Sleep, Urges CBS Consultants

CHICAGO - Nov. 7, 2017 - PRLog -- While businesses have taken pride in employees working long hours at the expense of sleep, research shows that employees perform optimally when they are well-rested. Larger companies are just catching up with the latest discoveries in sleep research. Small businesses should also pay attention to improve overall workplace productivity, management consultants with Corporate Business Solutions insist.

In the past, working protracted hours and getting only four or five hours of sleep at night was something to boast about. Famous businesspeople, like Martha Stewart, and even presidents, like Barack Obama, have linked shorter sleep periods with increased dedication to work. Science, on the other hand, attributes shorter hours sleeping with lack of productivity the following day. Doctors recommend that people should sleep at least 7-8 hours each night. The shorter a person sleeps, the more irritable, unfocused, and unproductive he or she will be the following day.

Shorter sleep periods are not only linked to short-term effects like inability to concentrate, but sleep deprivation is known to have devastating effects on the long-term health of people. Dr. Matthew Walker, an acclaimed neuroscientist, has pointed out that frequent sleep deprivation increases a person's risk for cancer, heart disease, and even Alzheimer's. Slowly but steadily, large organizations are prioritizing sleep for their employees. Corporate Business Solutions consultants point out that small businesses, too, should emphasize on getting the workforce to sleep well.

Sleep deprivation is associated with lowered creativity levels and the ability to solve complex problems. If an employee shows up at work without getting enough sleep, that means the employee will have trouble focusing on complex tasks at hand. The employee may not be able to concentrate properly on tasks, thus leading to increased chances of making mistakes. Companies can overcome these performance issues by developing a company policy to promote good sleep.

Several major companies, such as JP Morgan Chase, Accenture, and Uber, have already implemented programs to educate employees about the necessity of getting enough sleep at night. Aetna, the massive health insurance corporation, is even paying employees $500 yearly bonuses just for proving that they have slept at least 7 hours a night for 20 days without interruptions.

While small businesses may not have the capital to actually pay employees to sleep, there are definitely low-cost measures companies can implement to get employees to rest as recommended by doctors. Small businesses can hold seminars or meetings to educate employees about the importance of sleep. Managers can recommend apps and gadgets that help people sleep (there are countlessly available at the moment).


It's also strongly advised that small businesses conduct reviews and surveys to understand sleep habits of employees. If employees are constantly sleep deprived, that should be a cause for concern. CBS-CBS.com has more information on small business reviews provided at affordable rates.