Sleep deprivation could be costing Midlands businesses £1,248 per employee per year

The UK’s leading sleep charity, Sleep Action, is urging businesses to recognise the link between sleep and health and wellbeing, launching a new workplace initiative to combat the impact of sleep deprivation on employee health and productivity. 

The charity’s Sleep Healthy Workplace Webinar Programme is designed to empower employers to foster a culture that prioritises healthy sleep with essential knowledge and strategies backed by the latest research to address the pervasive issue of poor sleep health in the workplace. The initiative comes as January is a renowned month that inhibits sleep.

Research shows that sleeping difficulties affect up to 50% of employees, leading to fatigue-related productivity issues that cost UK businesses an estimated £1,248 per employee annually. The risks are not just financial: sleep deprivation contributes to a 70% higher risk of workplace accidents, while night shift workers are up to 30% more likely to sustain injuries on the job*.

Recent studies also point to a growing concern for businesses: mental health issues, including stress and anxiety, remain the top cause of both short- and long-term absenteeism. According to the CIPD’s latest report, mental ill health is the most common reason for long-term absences in UK workplaces, and over two thirds (39%) of organisations identify mental health as a leading factor in short-term absence . This highlights the urgent need for comprehensive wellbeing strategies, with sleep health prioritised as a foundational element. By better managing and improving sleep, employees are more equipped to manage stress, which in turn enhances their mood, and boosts cognitive function. It can also reduce the likelihood of mental health related absences and increase overall productivity at work.

Launching the programme, Alyson O’Brien, Head of Sleep Action, said: “Blue Monday serves as a poignant reminder of how mood and mental health are deeply intertwined with sleep. Sleep is the foundation of both mental and physical health, yet it’s often overlooked in workplace wellbeing initiatives.

“Our mood is one of the first indicators that we may have a sleep problem with sleep deprivation affecting the part of the brain that regulates our emotions, and it can make us feel irritable, groggy, short-tempered and easily upset. With the ever-growing pressures employees face, from financial stress to balancing work and personal life pressures, employers can not only support their teams but also create a more motivated, productive, and resilient workforce by supporting the prioritisation of sleep.

 “The impact of sleep deprivation is particularly relevant on Blue Monday, as sleep-deprived individuals are less likely to recall positive memories and more prone to focus on negative experiences. We store different types of memories in different parts of our brains. Negative memories tend to be stored in the amygdala, while positive or neutral memories are stored in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is more directly affected by lack of sleep. That may explain why people affected by sleep deprivation fail to recall pleasant memories as easily as they do negative ones. It is also thought to be a cause of more intrusive thoughts for those with sleep deprivation.

“Just as menopause and paternity leave have become common discussion points in the workplace, the topic of the importance of sleep deserves a place at the boardroom table so that it becomes an engrained norm for employers and employees.”

The Sleep Healthy Workplace Webinar Programme offers expert-led, one-hour sessions tailored to educate employees on the importance of sleep and practical strategies for improvement.

Dr Lizzie Hill is a Senior Lecturer in Sleep Physiology at the University of the West of England and sleep training lecturer for Sleep Action. She said: “Fatigue-related challenges, from traffic accidents to medical errors, underscore the critical importance of adequate sleep. By urging employers to support their employees’ sleep, Sleep Action is equipping organisations with the tools they need to tackle one of the most pervasive yet addressable issues affecting workplace wellbeing today.”

The launch of the Sleep Healthy Workplace Webinar Programme aligns with Sleep Action’s ongoing mission to promote the transformative power of healthy sleep for individuals and organisations alike.

To learn more about the Sleep Healthy Workplace Webinar Programme or to book a session, visit: sleepaction.org/healthy-workplace/