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Not getting enough sleep at night is detrimental to your work performance. You may show up late to the office (or virtual office), experience interference with daily activities, or fall asleep at your desk. Even modest amounts of sleep loss can accumulate over time, providing a substantial impact on daily functioning. Professionals who are now working at home are reporting a disruption to their normal pattern of work and personal life as well. Despite your heavy workload and personal responsibilities, it’s important you get enough sleep at night to put in your best performance at work.   

Here are four ways sleep deprivation affects your job performance.  

Adverse Cognitive Impact 

Sleep deprivation impacts your cognitive abilities. Your perception, judgment, reaction time, and decision-making skills significantly decrease. In certain cases, such as being awake for 17 to 24 hours, this may result in behavioral changes equivalent to drinking two to four glasses of wine. Diminished cognitive performance is especially detrimental if your job demands critical attention to detail. You can’t perform your best when you’re tired.  

Reduced Productivity 

Not getting enough sleep results in lower productivity. It’s harder to remain focused in meetings if you’re nodding off. You take longer to complete tasks when you’re yawning throughout the dayProcessing and retaining information or generating new ideas becomes a challenge. You feel less motivated to learn and manage competing demands. Irritability and bad decision making often result. Bringing home work often keeps you up later, further contributing to a lack of adequate sleep. As a result, your performance suffers.   

Damaged Well-Being  

Not sleeping enough can adversely impact your social, emotional, and psychological wellbeing. You might experience rapid changes in feelings and mood. Paranoia, hallucinations, mania, and memory loss are possible. Collaboration and other interpersonal aspects of your work suffer. Frayed nerves, moodiness, and lack of focus strain workplace relationships. Higher levels of stress, frustration, anxiety, and irritability are common. You may feel withdrawn and less optimistic about the future.  

Health Concerns  

Lack of adequate sleep can result in physical health concerns. Feeling lethargy, heartburn, or heart palpitations is common. A decreased immune function can make you more susceptible to colds and illnesses that keep you home from work. Obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and other illnesses often result. 

Find Greater Work-Life Balance   

Looking for a new accounting or finance job? Contact Mercer Bradley today. As Western Canada’s premier accounting and finance recruiting agency, we get to know your experience, goals, and interests, then match you with employers and jobs where you’ll thrive. See which jobs interest you today!


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