The amount of sleep your team members get affects your organization more than you may think. According to Sleep Deprivation is Killing You and Your Career, the side effects of missed sleep include memory loss, increased stress and decreased creativity, among others, which all affect how your team members conduct themselves from day to day. Tackle this problem by promoting healthier sleeping habits through leadership team building activities, workshops and events.

The following articles offer useful tips for better sleeping habits and are referenced in this article:

• Sleep Deprivation is Killing You and Your Career,
• Sleep to Optimize Performance at Work, and
• How Successful People Stay Calm.

Promote the following tips for better sleep in leadership team-building activities to reap the benefits of well-rested employees. On top of the below tips, consider utilizing an annual team leadership membership and 24/7 training program to learn the necessary skills to implement change within your organization while improving your leadership skills.

Shoot for 7 to 9 hours of sleep.

Busy people often feel that there is little time left in the day for sleep, but according to Sleep Deprivation is Killing You and Your Career, getting less than 7 to 9 hours of sleep at night wreaks havoc on your entire system and lowers your daily productivity. The amount of sleep each individual needs varies, but on average, 7 to 9 hours is the ideal amount.  Your brain detoxifies when you sleep. It resets your hormone balance and makes you more resilient to stress.

Reduce caffeine intake.

Caffeine is a powerful tool for keeping you awake, which is fine in the morning, but causes problems when you are trying to wind down from your day. Caffeine takes 24 hours to leave your system, and a 6-hour half-life means that if you have a cup of coffee in the afternoon, the majority of it will still be in your system when you are trying to nod off. So keep caffeine intake to a minimum, and switch to decaf after noon. This includes power drinks and sodas that contain caffeine.

Keep a regular routine.

According to Sleep to Optimize Performance at Work, keeping a regular routine, even on weekends or days off, is important for regulating your internal clock, which helps you to fall asleep at night. So try to go to bed and get up at the same times each day, whether or not you have work or somewhere to be. This also keeps harmful, weight gaining hormones at bay.

Read.

Avoid TV, smartphones, tablets, and other sources of blue light when you are trying to settle down for bed. Not only does the light affect your ability to fall asleep, you may be tempted to keep working if you have access to work emails on your devices. You need time away from work and blue light to get a good night’s sleep, and reading offers an excellent distraction and source for entertainment in the evenings.

Focus on reducing stress.

Not getting enough sleep causes stress, which we briefly mentioned above.  But, too much stress also affects sleep. While this may seem like an endless cycle of stress and lack of sleep, focus on reducing your stress first so you can enjoy sleep later, which in turn will reduce your stress levels. According to How Successful People Stay Calm, sleep helps you keep things in control and gives you a better sense of more self control, which is ideal all around.

If stress reduction is on the top of your 2015 goals, consider taking a self-study coaching course that helps you diagnose your source of stress, gives you actions to take and help you re-frame how you approach life and work.

Sleep is a necessary part of life, and even when it feels as if there is too much going on to get a good night’s sleep, encourage your team members to improve their sleep habits through leadership team building events and activities. Not only will the team members enjoy better health and less stress, but they will be more productive as well.

Copyright TIGERS Success Series, Inc. by Dianne Crampton

About TIGERS Success Series, Inc

TIGERS Success Series, Inc.  is a proprietary team development model based on six principles required for high levels of cooperation among employees and collaboration between departments. The six principles are trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success.  These principles are anchored by behaviors that measurably improve team behavior and support existing corporate values.

TIGERS is a Bend, Oregon Team Development Consultant that also licenses and trains HR Executives in TIGERS Team development and Facilitation methods. As a result, HRD leaders are able to build high levels of cooperation to compliment growth and workforce development strategies in measurable ways.

TIGERS is research based and validated with over 30 years of experience building and improving teams and collaborative work culture to drive improved business revenue. This is the type of work culture employees enjoy returning to after a couple of days off.  Call 541-385-7465 to inquire about our corporate retreats, licensing and consulting services.