India’s sleep crisis and productivity: Why rest is key to workplace performance

- By Poornima Singaravelu, Clinical Psychologist, Chennai

India's escalating sleep crisis has been highlighted by a recent global sleep study. It revealed some concerning trends in sleep deprivation and workplace fatigue. The survey was conducted by ResMed, a global leader in health technology. For the survey, insights were gathered from 30,026 individuals across 13 countries, with 5,000 respondents being from India.

According to the findings of the study, it was concluded that sleep deprivation is a widespread issue, with people losing an average of nearly three nights of restorative sleep each week. Though awareness regarding the significance of sound sleep is increasing, many individuals still tend to ignore the subtle signs of sleep-related issues, which eventually leads to a negative impact on health, work, and relationships.

1. Effect on Cognition and Decision-Making: Living a "power hour"— dwindling in the hour preceding bedtime without looking at screens — can refine concentration as well as thinking, ultimately producing better work product.

2. Creativity and Sleep: You build, by setting, a routine sleep schedule. Sleeping and waking at the same time daily controls your circadian rhythm; doing so improves workplace innovation and creativity.

3. The Place of Sleep in Emotional Equilibrium: Relaxation as well as breathing exercises, e.g., the 4-7-8 exercise (breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7, breathe out for 8), can induce calm, including emotional equanimity, through soothing the nervous system prior to sleeping, improving overall emotional well-being.

4. For Better Physical Health: Improving sleep quality via a calming schedule and reduced screen time that is before bedtime can greatly contribute to better physical health and, in turn, to work productivity.

How can organizations help in fostering improved sleep habits?

By encouraging work-life balance, offering schedule flexibility, and setting realistic deadlines, organizations play a key part in helping employees develop better sleeping habits.

By placing overall well-being and sufficient sleep at the top, many organizations can easily create a healthier, more fully productive workforce that eventually leads to individual and collective achievement.

Individuals can take steps to maintain better sleep hygiene. For instance, monitoring your sleep cycle, reducing caffeine intake, and decreasing screen time are certain factors that can help achieve sound sleep. Giving your body the rest it deserves and requires is extremely important, and ensuring a balanced sleep cycle can help in achieving this. Overwork and stress drain the body; therefore, to be productive and proactive at work, it is important to rest properly. 

Poornima Singaravelu is a Clinical Psychologist at HCL Healthcare, Chennai. She holds an M.Phil in Clinical Psychology from Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute and an M.Sc. in Counseling Psychology from Madras School of Social Work (MSSW).