Employees’ productivity suffers on days with a lack of sleep, but this can be mitigated if they change their mindset, according to a study.
Researchers at Trinity Business School in Dublin found that a lack of sleep reduces one’s willpower and motivational resources, which can have a negative effect on work performance.
However, they found that the effects on performance can be mitigated when employees changed their state of mind.
Their study involving 214 employees and 1,317 work days found that those who believed their willpower was “unlimited” helped sustain effectiveness and focus at work, including on days with a lack of sleep.
Those who felt they had a limited amount of willpower saw their work performance suffer.
“Our data points to sleep being linked to employee effectiveness,” said lead researcher Dr Wladislaw Rivkin, associate professor in organisational behaviour at Trinity Business School.
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“The study unveils that a lack of sleep affects employees’ work effectiveness by reducing their willpower – the ability to control impulses, emotions, and desires – as well as their emotional resources such as a positive outlook towards daily task completion and motivational resources such as feelings of aliveness and energy during the day.”
The researchers concluded that interventions to improve day-to-day sleep at home, such as offering access to guided meditation, can help employees become more productive at work.
Employers could also look at ways to improve employees’ mood on days where they lack sleep. The study says: “Organisations may, for example, offer employees the autonomy to engage in micro-breaks, which can replenish regulatory resources.
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“Furthermore, to improve employees’ positive affect on days with poor sleep, interventions such as watching a humorous video, picture, or text may serve to alleviate negative sleep-related consequences. Also, to enhance subjective vitality, managers may focus on the satisfaction of employees’ basic needs.”
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