Sleepless nights drive down productivity

According to new research into Britain’s sleeping habits, a bad night’s sleep has a number of significant effects on work productivity, which include: · Feeling physically run down (57%) · Loss of concentration (54%) · Feeling low and depressed (49%) · Being more prone to illness (26%) · Taking longer to complete tasks (24%) The in-depth study by Travelodge reveals the scale of the nation’s sleep deficit, as only 3% of respondents claimed they managed the daily recommended eight hours’ sleep per night. Saturday night is the main night when Brits indulge in a really deep slumber and Sunday night – the night before most people go back to work - was voted the worst for sleep deprivation. Nearly one in 10 respondents (8%) revealed that poor sleep causes them to call in sick after a bad night’s sleep and almost one in three (31%) said it takes them two days to fully recover after a sleepless night. A vain 42% of respondents said the lack of beauty sleep impacts on how they look and feel about themselves – making them less confident. What’s more, nearly a third (31%) said they feel up to 25% less productive after a bad night’s sleep, while nearly one in five (18%) said their productivity is halved after a night of tossing and turning. When questioned about the reasons behind their poor sleeping habits, respondents listed work stress (23%) as the second biggest cause behind long working hours. Forty four per cent of respondents said they would feel more productive after a poor night’s sleep if employers offered them an opportunity of a Duvet Day - when employees can choose to have an unplanned lie-in and come to work up to two hours later than usual. To cure sleep deprivation, Brits are spending a yearly total of £6.7 billion on quick-fix rejuvenating cures – from an early morning pit stop in a coffee shop, to expensive make-up to refresh looks.