Losing even a little bit of sleep at night – 16 minutes – can potentially affect how productive you are at work, a recent study said.
The study from researchers at the University of South Florida monitored 130 employees who work in information technology and have at least one school-aged child. Over the course of eight days, participants would log how much they slept and answer a series of questions in a survey.
The questions focused on how often participants experienced off-task or distracting thoughts during the day, also called “cognitive interference.” Participants were asked to rate the frequency on a scale from zero to four.
Results showed participants who lost as little as 16 minutes of sleep on a nightly basis reported having more distracting thoughts, making it more difficult to finish their job tasks.
“Findings from this study provide empirical evidence for why workplaces need to make more efforts to promote their employees’ sleep,” said Soomi Lee, lead author on the study and assistant professor in the School of Aging Studies at USF, in a statement. “Good sleepers may be better performers at work due to greater ability to stay focused an on-task with fewer errors and interpersonal conflicts.”
The study was published online last month in the peer-reviewed journal Sleep Health, which is run by the National Sleep Foundation.
Adults older than 18 should get at least seven hours of sleep a night, according to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the agency notes more than one-third of Americans aren’t getting the required amount of sleep per night.
Several studies have also shown getting a good night’s rest is good for your health. A trio of studies released last year showed enough sleep can boost your heart health and reduce the risk of strokes.
Source: USA Today
