Lack of sleep has become a ‘silent killer’ at the workplace, it is a major reason behind low productivity and poor health.

In today’s busy life, sleep has started to seem like a luxury. Answering emails late at night, office work and the habit of spending hours on screen before sleeping has badly affected the quality of our sleep. Do you know that lack of sleep not only spoils your next morning, but it is also emerging as a major crisis for your career and health? According to experts, prolonged sleep deprivation is becoming the biggest threat to physical and mental health in the workplace.

Why are employees becoming victims of ‘sleep deprivation’?

According to Dr. Vikram Vora, Chief Health Officer of International SOS, modern work culture has disrupted our sleep schedule. Hybrid working culture, global meetings and the pressure to be ‘always available’ have blurred the line between work and personal life. Employees are often compromising with their sleep due to workload and stress, which is directly affecting their organizational performance.

Sleep has a direct connection with your productivity.

Many people think that sleep is necessary only for energy, but in reality it works to ‘reset’ our brain. Dr. Vora says that inadequate sleep reduces concentration, decision-making ability, creativity and problem-solving power. This results in a situation of ‘presenteeism’, where employees are in the office but their performance is far below their potential. Mental health and sleep are closely related; Lack of sleep increases stress, anxiety, and irritability, which hinders communication among the team.

Have serious effects on health

If you’ve been getting less sleep for weeks, it’s not just limited to exhaustion. This leads to diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and weak immune system. According to Dr. Vora, the consequences of lack of sleep can be even more fatal in industries like healthcare, transportation and construction. Slow reaction and low alertness directly lead to accidents and operational errors.

Solutions for employers and employees

Now is the time for companies to consider sleep as an important pillar like nutrition and physical health. Dr. Vora suggests developing a culture at the workplace where employees’ leisure time is respected. Managers should also lead by example—don’t send emails late at night and encourage a healthy work-life balance. Taking sleep is not a lack of commitment, but an investment in better performance. A healthy and adequately sleepy employee is not only happy but also contributes greatly to the long-term success of the company.