I’ve felt like a different person since I’ve been getting a good night’s sleep – happier, more energetic and more productive. Too much information? Probably. But there’s a good reason behind why I’m promoting the power of sleep.
A ‘well-slept’ business is a more successful business, according to new research by Xero.
The accounting software provider has put paid to the old adage that “you snooze, you lose” with its ‘Make or Break Report 2017’, which revealed how three in five (63%) small and medium business owners rank a good night’s sleep as the most important way to achieve mental wellbeing.
Meanwhile, almost eight in ten (78%) of the respondents claim that their personal wellbeing, and that of their employees, directly impacts the health of their business.
There is strong evidence throughout the report to back up their claim, too: over a third (36%) of entrepreneurs say that encouraging a healthy work-life balance in the workplace has helped make their business more productive in the last year.
Should you be actively encouraging a good night’s sleep?
Well, some businesses have gone so far as to offer incentives and rewards to employees if they come into work on the back of a good night’s sleep. One US insurance group, it is reported, rewards staff in their pocket if they get at least seven hours of shut-eye per night, as part of the firm’s employee benefits.
Interestingly, media mogul and sleep advocate Arianna Huffington recently founded Thrive Global, a new venture which aims to help individuals and companies set better boundaries for how they use technology before they burn out.
Agnentis Partners, mental health and wellbeing advisor, Dr Sarah Swan, cites lack of sleep as a factor in increased stress and anxiety and a general loss of wellbeing and balance. In her guide to a good nights sleep she advocates a digital devices detox in the hour before you go to bed in order to reduce brain stimulation and prepare for rest.
Start with yourself
However, before you start promoting the power of sleep to others, you need to make sure you’re taking your own advice and getting the hours in every night.
Josephine Fairley, Green & Black’s co-founder and serial entrepreneur, explains: “Your own health and wellbeing is of paramount importance as a small business owner, because if you’re not looking after yourself you will be unable to look after your team.”
Xero’s report suggests that small and medium business owners are coming round to the notion that rest is a contributing factor to how well they run their organisation. Four in ten (39%) say that taking adequate time off is important, with 53% saying that they plan on taking more time off this year than last.
As business owners ourselves, at Agnentis Partners, we understand that when it’s your business and your neck on the line, sleep can be hard to come by of a night. However, by encouraging a healthy work-life balance in the workplace, your business stands a greater chance of being a success, which, in turn, will help you rest easier and so boost your energy… think about it.
