“Some believe you can accomplish more if you spend less time sleeping, but limited sleep can affect every aspect of your life, including job performance,” said Dr. Bert Jacobson, Better Sleep Month spokesperson and author of the new study Subjective Rating of Perceived Back Pain, Stiffness and Sleep Quality Following Introduction of Medium-Firm Bedding Systems. “In fact, sleep deprivation impacts your level of alertness, your productivity and your ability to socially interact with colleagues.”

Sleep to Succeed
Studies estimate that sleep deprivation currently costs U.S. businesses nearly $150 billion annually in absenteeism and lost productivity. And Better Sleep Month survey respondents reported sleep deprivation impaired their quality and accuracy of work (31 percent), clear thinking or judgment (31 percent) and memory of important details (30 percent).

“Our survey indicates that companies would be more productive and offices would be happier places if employees got more of the sleep they need,” said Nancy Shark, executive director of the Better Sleep Council. “Anyone looking to improve their daily work performance could benefit by improving the quality of their sleep.”

Survey results also showed that tired employees are turning instead to quick-fix performance enhancers to remedy their sleep deficiency problem, including:

• Drinking coffee or other caffeinated drinks (33 percent)
• Taking a nap (17 percent)
• Going outside for fresh air (18 percent)

Only 13 percent of Americans are willing to make the commitment to get more sleep in order to feel more awake and productive at work.

Mattress Matters
While research links quality sleep to enhanced work productivity, many Americans are losing sleep on mattresses that may no longer provide optimum comfort. For a good night’s sleep it is recommended to evaluate your mattress every five to seven years for comfort and support and replace if necessary. But survey respondents indicate that most consumers (50 percent) sleep on mattresses that are five years old or older, and 24 percent of those sleep on mattresses eight years old or older.

According to a recently released article in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine titled “Subjective Rating of Perceived Back Pain, Stiffness and Sleep Quality Following Introduction of Medium-Firm Bedding Systems, Oklahoma State University researchers suggest that the quality of sleep is directly affected by the age of the sleep system. In fact, the study showed new bedding systems provided immediate and sustained benefits in sleep comfort and quality plus reduced back pain.

“Sleep problems can be caused by a host of factors ranging from physical discomfort, stress and life-style dynamics,” said Dr. Jacobson. “In our research, we found that for the average person, better sleep quality can be as simple as a new bed.”