Are You Getting Enough? Sleep That Is…
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- Published: Tuesday, 19 September 2023 08:04
- Written by Guy Tuggle
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Only 36% of the population rate their sleep as ‘good’ according to Nuffield Health’s 2023 ‘Healthier Nation Index’.
The survey of 8,000 UK adults highlighted that poor sleep is a huge issue. On average, Brits are only getting 5.91 hours of sleep a night, down from 6.11 in 2022 and 6.19 in 2021.
The average healthy adult needs between 7.5 – 8.5 hours per night, equating to five sleep cycles.
This means that the remaining 65 percent of those questioned feel that they are not getting good quality sleep. Good quality of sleep is about having the right balance of deep, slow-wave sleep and shallow, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep – where dreaming occurs.
The results should alarm dental professionals whose work demands alertness and agility of thinking. Whilst tired lorry drivers can create motorway pileups if they fall asleep at the wheel, so a tired, yawning dentist could make avoidable errors that could ignite a stressful chain of events as well as cause a patient harm.
Poor sleep can impact on all team members, with consequences. Dentists rely on their teams and especially their nurses to be ‘on the ball’ yet 11 percent of respondents are only getting between 2-4 hours of sleep per night and 36 percent only sleep between 4-6 hours. Only 8 percent of us get more than the recommended 8 hours per night.
Poor sleep quality reduces employee productivity. 37 percent said they were less productive after a poor night’s sleep. It also negatively impacts mental health, especially so in women. 55 percent said poor sleep had a negative impact on their emotional wellbeing, compared to just 41 percent of men.
For practice owners grappling with team management issues, an awareness that sleep disruptions can generate negative thinking and emotional sensitivity is useful. Research suggests poor sleep makes people twice as responsive to stress.
Luke Cousins, Physiology Regional Lead, at Nuffield Health said “There still exists a vital need for employers to be more attuned to the sleep needs of their staff and the potential role it has in improving employee physical and emotional wellbeing if businesses prioritise its importance.
“Taking a holistic view on health – including offering interventions that cover the full range of risks – is the only way to get back to maximum wellbeing and create a healthier nation.”
The reasons for poor sleep are numerous and vary by age group as well as from person to person.
Caffeine, alcohol and stress are widely credited with sleep disturbance. A good quality mattress that supports the body correctly – as opposed to a sagging or rock hard one – is essential as by reducing pressure points it cuts tossing and turning.
Using iPads or watching television is a no-no in bed whilst low noise, fresh air and a comfortable temperature are deemed prerequisites for a good night’s sleep.
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