Lack of sleep costing the UK economy billions, expert warns
Coffee alternative set to make UK workforce more resilient
Poor sleep is costing the UK economy billions in absenteeism, accidents caused by tiredness, and chronic health problems, an expert has warned.
Leading sleep and nutrition expert Dr Greg Potter is co-founder of Resilient Nutrition, an innovative company in the “performance” food and drink market. He fears sleep problems will continue to cause a substantial issue for the UK economy.
Each year, 200,000 working days are lost to sleep deprivation in the UK, costing £40 billion – 1.86% of GDP.
Dr Potter said:
“As a nation, we just aren’t getting enough quality sleep. The impact on the economy is worrying, but more worrying is the impact this is having on people’s health and wellbeing.
“Insufficient sleep takes its toll on the body in several ways. It affects our ability to make decisions and leads to sleepiness and difficulty concentrating. It can also increase hunger, making us reach for snacks more often.
“Finally, it can affect our immune system, making us more susceptible to illness and reducing our antibody responses to some vaccinations – not something we want in the current circumstances.”
The National Sleep Foundation recommends 18- to 64-year-old adults get seven to nine hours of sleep per night.
However, statistics from recent years show that 26% of the UK population is getting 5 to 6 hours of sleep a night, and 17% are getting even less than that.
Why is the UK struggling to sleep?
According to Dr Potter, there are several reasons people in the UK sleep poorly.
“Stress at work, irregular hours due to shift work, and anxiety about money all take their toll on how well we sleep,” he said.
“Add to that other COVID-related stressors and it’s no wonder so many of us struggle to sleep.
“Shift workers often struggle to adjust their body clock to their work patterns which can affect their sleep.
“Lack of sleep contributes to absenteeism, accidents, depression and anxiety, but it’s not all doom and gloom. There are ways to improve sleep, and there are also strategies to counter the negative consequences of poor sleep. Our new product, Switch On, is one such strategy.”
According to a recent study, anxiety and other work/life pressures can cause insomnia, which affects around 28% of UK adults.
Resilient Nutrition, which develops nutrition plans for elite athletes, including the GB Snowsport team, has now developed Switch On – a healthy chocolate drink designed to boost your performance and focus your mind, even after a poor night’s sleep.
The science behind Switch On addresses the problem it has been created to tackle – boosting our productivity and resilience when we are sleep deprived, something that might help the UK workforce over time.
Switch On is a morning product to be enjoyed up to one hour before any physically or mentally demanding activity.
The sugar-free, plant-based, high-fibre drink, which took six years to perfect, includes ingredients such as cocoa, creatine, L-tyrosine and L-theanine, which are known to have positive effects on the body when consumed over time.
Benefits include improved blood flow to the brain, helping to improve memory, antioxidants to boost the immune system, prebiotics to support gut health and amino acids to promote feelings of calm focus.
Coping with poor sleep and sleeping better
Dr Potter has some additional advice on how people struggling with insomnia can sleep better. He recommends some strategies based on “stimulus control of behaviour”.
“No smartphone use or deep conversations when you’re in bed with your partner,” he said. “Save your bed for sex and sleep only; avoid naps; only go to bed when you’re actually sleepy; if you’ve been in bed for 15 minutes and haven’t yet fallen asleep, get out of bed and do something relaxing in dim lighting, such as reading a book; and only return to bed when you’re sleepy.
“Finally, set an alarm and get out of bed at the same time each day, regardless of how much you slept.”
Using Dr Potter’s strategies will help those struggling with sleepless nights to wake up less during the night and get more quality sleep.
A refreshed, more resilient workforce could mean a move in the right direction for the UK economy over time, with an increase in productivity and worker wellbeing.
To find out more about Switch On, visit https://switchon.resilientnutrition.com/switchon/
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