Sleep deprivation can cost you up to 11 days of productivity per year. Remote work may have heightened stress levels and diminished communication quality for everyone, and insufficient sleep further intensifies these issues.
Moreover, these stumbling blocks compound to produce even more inefficiency and job dissatisfaction due to a poor night’s sleep.
The underlying cause of daytime sleepiness, such as sleep apnea, can be treated to increase energy and improve cognitive performance. Even if you make changes to improve your mood, you may not immediately notice an improvement in your afternoon sleepiness.
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The Impact Of Remote Work On Sleep
- For many, transitioning from an office setting to working remotely shattered regular routines, necessitating lengthy adjustment periods and, in many cases, interfering with sleep.
- The advantage of eliminating a commute with stressful mornings and early wakeups is that your body will wake up naturally in a light sleep phase. While this may prolong sleep for some, it may be counterbalanced by an increased predisposition to go to bed late, sleep in, and forego regular sleep times for others.
- Working from home blurs the distinction between our workplaces and our places of rest, making it difficult for our brains to transition from “work mode” to “sleep mode.”
- Combining childcare with a remote work environment means interrupted work and less time for sleep, as parents may choose to work later instead of earlier to complete projects.
- When you don’t feel like you can unplug in a work-from-home environment, your stress levels rise, disrupting your sleep. Worries about the news, finances, and the pandemic exacerbate this stress.
- Employees’ overall screen time increased as previously in-person meetings were moved online. The blue light from these screens may affect sleep over time, especially for those who continue working close to bedtime.
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Life Hacks To Avoid Sleepiness While Working Remotely
Here’s how to stay awake at work during the day.
Bask in the sunlight.
Natural light exposure is essential for maintaining healthy circadian rhythms, which control our sleep and waking cycles. A commute provides this exposure, but getting out of the house can be difficult with remote employment during the workday.
Being outside while the sun is shining may improve the quality of your sleep. Natural light in the morning is very beneficial for getting a better night’s sleep.
Set up your work-from-home office in a location with plenty of natural light to enjoy the changing light throughout the day. Dimming the lights in the evening can indicate to your body that it’s time to get ready for bed when you are done working.
Improve Sleep Hygiene.
Sleep hygiene is all about developing healthy habits that allow you to get a decent night’s sleep. Because we work from home, our mattresses have become our offices, blurring the barriers between work and relaxation.
Blackout curtains, high-quality bedding, and supportive pillows may quickly transform your bedroom into a restful haven.
You may improve your sleep hygiene even more by sticking to a consistent sleep schedule and avoiding any daytime behaviors that make sleeping harder.
Have a power nap.
Sometimes, getting a few hours of sleep is the only way to combat afternoon tiredness. If you need to close your eyes, take a power nap during your lunch break.
If you have a home office, close the door and rest your head on the desk. Alternatively, you could sit in your car and recline the seat. A 15-—to 30-minute nap may be enough to get you through the day.
Remember: Do not forget to set your alarm clock, or you might end up sleeping too much!
Maintain a consistent sleep schedule.
Working remotely completely disrupted most people’s routines and sleep schedules. Because our bodies crave predictability, sleeping late and hitting the snooze button because you don’t have to drive to work can throw everything out of whack.
Set a specific bedtime and wake time to get back into a routine and restful sleep. Once you’ve established your schedule, try not to deviate from it, even on a Monday morning.
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Play upbeat music.
Working quietly might be a chore if you’re tired at work. You may feel as if you’re going to pass out at any moment. To wake up your brain, listen to uplifting music.
First, get your boss’s approval. If listening to music doesn’t interfere with your work, your manager might be okay with it. If you can’t turn on the radio and listen to music through earbuds, ask for permission to listen to music through earphones—the livelier the music, the better.
Make a comfortable sleeping and working environment.
Create a distinct workspace you exclusively use during working hours to effectively separate work from rest (making it easier to sleep). Ideally, Your workspace should not be in your bedroom, although we understand this is not always practical.
Avoid working from your bed, as tempting as it may appear. When you work from bed, your brain starts to equate being in bed with being awake, making it more difficult to fall asleep. Ensure your room is cold, quiet, and dark when it’s time to sleep.
Have a light lunch.
If you suffer from frequent daytime sleepiness, a heavy lunch may aggravate your condition. Avoid sugary snacks, sodas, and carbohydrates like white bread and white pasta.
Consume a light lunch to maintain your energy levels. You want to be complete but not stuffed. When packing your lunch, choose healthier sources of energy. Examples include boiled eggs, chicken, berries, nuts, vegetables, and whole grains.
At night, limit your screen time.
Our devices emit blue light, which can increase alertness, whether you want to relax by scrolling through TikTok or insist on checking email one more time before bed.
Furthermore, using those devices can be stimulating, keeping you awake well past bedtime and making it difficult to fall asleep. To give yourself time to relax, put away your devices at least half an hour before going to bed.
Attempt getting ready in the morning.
Our minds form patterns in our daily activities, such as the association between sleep and pajamas. As a result, wearing the same clothes we sleep in can reduce productivity and make us sleepy and sluggish during the day.
Waking up and getting dressed signals to our brain that it’s time to get productive and work, which leads to increased alertness and concentration.
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Make a wind-down routine a priority before going to bed.
Because remote work can be stressful, it’s critical to establish a soothing sleep ritual to help you unwind. This can include meditating, reading, relaxing music, or writing in a journal.
Journaling also has the added benefit of assisting you in tracking repeated behaviors that may be disrupting your sleep.
It’s also crucial to take breaks throughout the day to classify the working day and divide it into manageable chunks. While breaks come naturally in an office atmosphere, they must be planned when working remotely.
Takeaway
Working hard and having the right skills isn’t enough; we must also ensure that our minds and bodies are well-rested and equipped to help us get through the day.
Working from home might be difficult, but modest modifications in your sleep patterns can help you overcome these obstacles and increase your productivity. Try these sleep tricks, and you’ll wake up re-energized and ready to take on the day.
