Healthy Tips
Fatigue costs employers billions of dollars each year. Reductions in productivity, motivation and health care costs related to fatigue cost individual employers around $1,967 annually per employee.1 When added up, fatigue costs U.S. companies around $136.4 billion dollars each year.2
Our partners at Fitbit Health Solutions have some tips on getting a great night of sleep that you can share with your workforce to help keep them well-rested and productive:
- Exercise regularly: Working out promotes better rest, so long as it is not done right before bedtime. The National Sleep Foundation found that those who performed moderate to vigorous exercise daily typically got a better night’s sleep.3
- Keep a consistent routine: Going to sleep and waking up around the same time each day can help regulate your body’s internal clock, and could result in better sleep.4 If you have a sleep tracker, try setting a sleep goal and using the silent alarm to help you stay on track
- Power down: At least an hour before bed, set your smartphone aside and resist the urge to watch TV. Eliminating the blue light from electronics can help your brain calm down, ease anxiety or stress from the work day, and ultimately help you sleep better.5
- Cut caffeine after 2 p.m.: Consuming caffeine up to 6 hours prior to bedtime can put your beauty rest at risk.6 Try cutting out caffeine around 2 PM by replacing caffeinated beverages with water or decaffeinated tea.
- Cool down: It’s easier to rest in a cooler environment than a warm one.7 So, for optimal sleep, keep the temperature of your bedroom between 60 ̊ and 67 ̊F to help your body facilitate its natural cool-down process.
Sleep is often overlooked when speaking about wellness and yet it is central to a balanced healthy lifestyle. A simple reminder to get a good night’s sleep can have a positive impact on your employees’ health and productivity.
1 Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Rosekind et al. The Cost of Poor Sleep: Workplace Productivity Loss and Associated Costs.2010
2 Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Ricci et al. Fatigue in the U.S. workforce: Prevalence and Implications for Lost Productive Work Time.2007
3 National Sleep Foundation. 2013 Sleep In America Poll: Exercise and Sleep.2013
4 National Sleep Foundation. Healthy Sleep Tips.2022
5 Harvard Medical School. Blue Light has a Dark Side. September 2, 2015
6 Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Caffeine Effects on Sleep Taken 0, 3, or 6 Hours Before Going to Bed.2013
7 Sleep.org. Dr. Michael Breus. What is the Best Temperature for Sleep.2022
