As our small tribute to Dr Michael Mosley we would like to relate some of his latest work about how to get a better night’s sleep. Sleep deprivation is a major public health issue and it poses a great risk and cost to businesses. 

The objective of better sleep is to reach a point within one hour of beginning to nod off you should begin to experience deep sleep. 

In a general sense if you stay mentally and physically active during the day, create a cool and dark sleep environment and minimise screen time before bed you should improve your quality of sleep. 

A few tips from his latest work include 

• Have a shower an hour before bed. 
• Eat the right foods during the day – especially high fibre, high protein Mediterranean diet. 
• Avoid late nigh snacks 
• Establish and stick with a daily routine sleep schedule.  
• Try reducing the amount of time you are in bed. This is particularly valuable for those who are insomniacs. 
• Create a sleep quotient or efficiency is where you place the number of hours you are asleep over the total time you are in bed. You target percentage must be around 90%. 
• Remove sleep-ins from your life as they can muck up your natural body rhythms. 
• The longer you go without sleep the more build-up of a hormone (adenosine) and it must be reduced for you to enjoy a better night’s sleep. To reduce the hormone level – one must sleep! 
• Exercise regularly, practise breathing routines and manage your head health. 
• Determine if you are a night owl (struggles to sleep before midnight) or a lark (wake very early) and how best to make use of the natural light.
• As we age, we produce less melatonin. This means we have more trouble coordinating parts of the brain that tips us into sleep. You may need to supplement your melatonin levels.  

Another consideration we think should be discussed is the use of sleeping hubs. A short nap has been proven to be of assistance in reducing errors, being cognitively more alert and improving mood.  

If you would like to get a better understanding of what risks you may be facing in your business relating to sleep deprivation, then contact the Optimum Team on admin@optimumhms.com.au or www.optimumhms.com.au.