Well-rested employees - a success factor
When we sleep badly, we are not just tired in the morning: we are also unable to concentrate, react slowly, feel overwhelmed, are less empathetic and underestimate risks. The Lung League supports people with breathing disorders during sleep and shows employees in companies how to improve their sleep.
Managers often boast that they get by on little sleep. But the fact is that a chronic lack of sleep makes you ill. Alongside nutrition, sport and social contacts, good sleep is one of the four most important factors for staying physically and mentally healthy.
Every third person sleeps badly
The results of the Swiss Health Survey 2023 are alarming: 33% of the population suffer from sleep problems. Sleepless nights are not only grueling for the people affected, they also have a negative impact on the economy.
What is good sleep?
Healthy sleep depends not only on the duration, but also on the quality. Only sleep with sufficient deep sleep phases is restorative. During sleep, we renew body and brain cells and process what we have experienced during the day. If we do not sleep or sleep poorly, an imbalance occurs in the brain, which has a negative effect on our mental and physical state.
When you stop breathing at night
Sometimes there is a physical problem behind poor sleep. Sleep apnoea is one of the most widespread disorders. It causes the airways to close temporarily during sleep. The interrupted breathing at night makes restful sleep impossible. People affected by sleep apnoea are therefore often very tired during the day and cannot concentrate. Untreated sleep apnoea increases the risk of accidents, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Not all those affected suffer from the same symptoms, such as snoring. It is therefore important to have a medical check-up.
Sleep apnea can be treated well. The Lung League is the leading provider of care in Switzerland. It advises around 90,000 sleep apnoea sufferers. "I was totally exhausted because I had slept badly for so long. The treatment improved my quality of life enormously. After a short adjustment period, I was finally able to sleep deeply again," says one patient.
Sleep soundly and get off to a flying start
If there is no physical or psychological problem, we can train ourselves to sleep well. After all, people who sleep well are more motivated to go to work in the morning, are more productive, more empathetic and more risk-aware. Restful sleep supports memory and learning functions, strengthens the immune system and ensures energy and alertness the next day. This is why well-rested employees make a significant contribution to the success of a company.
"PulMotion" is a program that promotes the lung health of employees in companies. A scientifically proven screening identifies sleep-related breathing disorders in employees. In the "Sleep at last" workshop, participants learn about the connections between breathing, sleep and performance. Simple exercises help them to sleep better.
March 15 is World Sleep Day. On this day, attention is drawn worldwide to the important health factor of sleep.
Source: Swiss Lung League
