Being without appropriate sleep means you are at increased risk across a range of health and safety issues.  

Unfortunately, for a great number of individuals, appropriate sleep is missing in their life. A sleep deprived individual turning up to work brings a substantial risk into the workplace. We appear to be well informed about the benefits of sleep but action on sleep problems, particularly in the workplace, is not front on mind to a great number of businesses. 

Data and new knowledge about the sleep and fatigue patterns of workers are emerging but few businesses act on this information. 

Currently sleep problems are costing Australia $66 billion per year, with 40% of Australians reporting they have sleep problems.  

We know that poor sleep impacts nearly every system in the body. It is a primary driver of good health. It is also the root cause of many health issues and accidents.  

Our data on quality and quantity of sleep for 1465 Aussie workers presents a contrast of risks. 

The data on quality of sleep indicates that 3% of the employees are in the high-risk zone for poor quality sleep. This occurred in the 16-19 years and the 60+ years age groups. All other age groups indicated that their quality of sleep was on point. 

There is a different story when the data for quantity of sleep is reviewed. This data indicates that 41% of the data base is sleep deprived. This is particularly evident in the 30-39 year age group (46%).  The older age group (60+ years) returned the lowest level of sleep deprivation at 31%. The lowest level of sleep deprivation still represents nearly one third of the group at risk. 

Within our data base the evidence indicates that 53% females (n=626) and 42% males (n=955) are in the increased, high and substantially high-risk zones.  

Is it time to reconsider how the workday, individuals and the workplace manage this silent risk factor? 

• Could more regular checking on employees sleep habits be required? We need between 7-9 hours sleep a night. Monitoring your employees more regularly is a great investment and will mitigate your business risks.  

• Could it be that we identify those who may need assistance via sleep studies, find devices to help those who are suffering from sleep apnoea like a CPAP machine – up to 80% of those with sleep apnoea do not know they have it.  

• Could we be bold enough to introduce “Sleep Hubs” into the workplace? Sleep hubs do offer the opportunity for restorative sleep. 

When we have conducted programs and offered support services to those who need to manage their sleep better – we saw a 40% reduction in sleep issues over a 24-month period.  

If you want to find out how sleep and fatigue patterns are impacting your business, then contact admin@optimumhms.com.au.