Workplace conflict is a topic that I cover almost every week.  Clients share that the lack of sleep gets in their way at work.  In comes my guest author, Kelly N, an expert in healthy sleep.  I hope you enjoy her words of wisdom.  The 5 strategies are tested and will improve your job performance and workplace satisfaction.

If you constantly find your thoughts feeling foggy and you notice yourself yawning at your desk or throughout meetings, it can’t always be an easy blame on Monday or just a long week. It shouldn’t surprise you to hear that a lack of sufficient sleep can negatively affect your overall daily performance, including your success at work. When you’re fatigued, both your body and mind suffer, hindering peak professional performance. A lack of quality sleep is not only harmful to your physical wellbeing but also your mental performance. Creativity, reaction times, focus, motivation, information processing and retention are only a few aspects of professional success that become inherently neglected by a lack of rest.

5 Ways Better Sleep Reduces Workplace Conflict:

1. Better quality sleep is linked to improved emotions and fewer stressors.
2. An increased perception of positivity.
3. Low-stress workplaces have higher rates of employees who don’t encounter sleep discomfort/challenges.
4. Restfulness plays a key role in self-management and emotional control.
5. A lack of sleep can make us over-reactive and conflict/negotiation adverse.

It’s no secret that ideal sleep can be a challenge to achieve. Most of the workforce reports feeling tired throughout their regular workdays. This sleepiness hinders productivity for both employees and employers resulting in sub-par work performances on a regular basis. More than 1/4 of professionals are aware that their daytime drowsiness interferes with daily activities multiple days each month. It’s important to remember that even modest amounts of sleep loss will accumulate, so a few nights of inadequate sleep can result in an overall impact on daily functioning.

Workplace Conflict #1:  Sunday Night Insomnia

The night before the long work week often feels like the most restless night of the week. Avoid your acute insomnia by establishing a regular sleep/wake schedule. Try to go to bed and wake up within an hour of the same time each day of the week (weekends included). If you’d like to see if you have developed an unhealthy pattern, consider monitoring with a sleep tracking app.

Workplace Conflict #2:  Discomfort
Your bedtime necessities play a bigger impact on your ability to get effective rest than one might assume. A well-designed and supportive mattress and pillow can alleviate many physical discomforts associated with body pains and aches. Innovative foam layered mattresses are best for spinal alignment and support.

Workplace Conflict #3:  Busy Mind
An anxious or wandering mind can be the one thing leaving you distracted and unable to easily doze away. It is important to establish familiar and consistent nighttime patterns to let your mind slow down and prepare itself for rest. Avoid overstimulating your mind too closely to your bedtime.

Workplace Conflict #4:  Hunger
When hunger strikes after you’re tucked away under your sheets, it is hard to resist temptations. Resisting this temptation can be more of a distraction than its worth. Consider a light, carb-heavy snack. If you face hunger based distractions each night, consider adjusting your dinner time and avoid these foods that steal from your slumbers.

Workplace Conflict #5:  Temperature
Temperature is often framed as a bedtime preference or opinion, like a number of blankets, pillows or nightlights. To progress into deeper sleep cycles your body temperature will naturally decrease. A toasty room or an overactive AC unit will impair your ability to get quality rest. The ideal bedroom temperature sits just around 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Kelly N. is a Sleep Enthusiast from New York. She spends her time researching sleep and the effects that it has on our daily lives. When she is not planning her next nap, she can be found sipping her favorite latte.

I want to hear from you

Please let me know how you enjoyed this article.  What topics would you want me to research?  I will be including interviews and articles from my colleagues to add more variety to you.

Add a comment to my blog on how sleep contributes to your workplace conflict.  What habits do you use to get a good night’s sleep?  You are always welcome to send me a private email with concerns that you are experiencing at work.

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Loyal readers like you help us find more people who could benefit from these posts. Help us help them reduce conflict and improve leadership skills and quality of life.

This is Joyce Weiss
Corporate Communication Strategist and Career Coach

Until next time, have a great week.
Remember…”You Get What You Tolerate!”