From Burned Out to Fired Up: Sleep
I’m not exactly a champion sleeper. I’m much better at it now than when I was younger, but for the better part of my life, if I slept more than four hours a night, it was an anomaly. Comments about me by others frequently include “Energizer Bunny,” “Force of Nature",” “Energy on Legs,” etc. and it’s true that I’m a high energy individual. I get a lot done, mostly because I’m organized and focused, but also because I tend to work more hours than anyone else. This is not necessarily a great thing…for my organization, yes, but for my own health, maybe not.
There’s a lot of research around just how much sleep we need every night, but the standard still seems to be 7-9 hours for a 24 hour period, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Everyone has a comfort level where they operate optimally, but it’s generally accepted that less than 5 hours isn’t enough.
So what if you’re working 16 hour shifts? The 8 hours left of your 24 hour day can’t be spent sleeping, even if you wanted to. Some of that 8 hours is going to be spent getting home, getting ready for bed, winding down, interacting with your family, etc. Correctional shift work does not cultivate healthy life habits. As leaders, we have to be more creative about how we schedule our most important resource: our team. For line staff, it’s time to be vocal and proactive in advocating for a healthier work environment.
Exhaustion is a key component of burn out, no matter what your position may be. Research tells us that a good night’s sleep is composed of four cycles, each lasting 90-110 minutes. Again according to the National Sleep Foundation, people who get their 7-9 hours every night tend to be healthier and live longer than their counterparts (like me I guess) who aren’t getting that time. From a practical stand-point, when we’re over-tired, our reactions are slower, our decision-making skills are off, and we’re less focused. Not a description of a champion employee, especially one who’s safety and the safety of others depends on the opposite.
When you’re afforded 7-9 hours to catch some z’s, here are some tips to wind yourself down and slip into your four sleep cycles:
Create a sleep routine. If you have kiddos, you’ve done this for them…same bed time every night, music, sound machine, read a book, tell a story…so do the same for you, only a grown-up version. A consistent bed time still stands, no matter your age, music and sound machines work too, maybe reading, yoga, meditation, prayer, or writing in a journal to let the day go. Pick your routine and be consistent with it.
Create a comfortable space for sleeping: make your bed as comfortable as possible, keep your room cool, and use your bed only for sleeping and relaxing.
Stay away from screen time: I like to fall asleep with the TV on, but truth-be-told, it wakes me up at some point, interrupting my sleep, so, turn it off if you’re like-minded, put your phone, computer, and tablet away (no scrolling!). Blue light from electronic screens disrupts our body clocks and stimulates our brain.
Exercise and stay active during the day, but 5 hours before your bed time.
Monitor food and fluid intake before bed time: alcohol and caffeine are no bueno before bed time, and a full stomach and/or bladder before sleep are guarantees of sleep disruption.
Try not to worry: do you have trouble turning your brain off? I’m with ya! Try breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, prayer, and I know some folks who schedule a time during their day for worrying. That’s kind of cool, right? Spend a half hour or so tackling the problems that are weighing on you and outline possible solutions, or put a date to the time/place you’re going to work out a solution, then let it go. Now you have a plan, so no worrying all night. You already know how/when you’re going to address the problem or the finding of the solution.
There are lots of reasons we burn out at work. Lack of proper sleep is one. If you want to discuss how the Past the Edges team can help you or your organization get your/their mojo back, contact us.
A good friend frequently quotes her grandmother, who said, “There’s a fine line between hope and despair, and it’s called a good night’s sleep.” I think about that all the time when I’m under stress. Mainly because it’s true.
Get some rest.
