As COVID-19 numbers spiked in recent years and quarantine orders were getting put into place, many workplaces and employers had to shift to an online or remote model. This quick shift left little time for adjustment to a healthy work-life balance for many. Separating the two can often be very difficult due to high stress levels during this transition period. Although as we continue through 2022, the long period of remote work has allowed scientists to study how people sleep and work under this new environment and how that affects workplace productivity.
However, not all remote workers found the lack of structure that comes with working online as a bad thing. Some people prefer to work or are more active at night before going to bed, commonly termed “night owls”. Individuals reported that the flexibility of remote work catered to their preference of working at night because being online allowed them to choose when their work hours were. The remote work catered to these individuals’ needs and habits by allowing them to work when they choose.
Research by Dr. Kelly Baron, an associate professor at the University of Utah, found that lack of sleep causes decreased productivity and is a main use of sick days within the workplace. She noted that, “We would get better performance out of employees if they were allowed to work at their best working time.”
A recent study by Federico Salfi, a doctoral student at the University of L’Aquila in Italy, found evidence of better and longer sleep when employees were able to work from home. With that, came a decrease in symptoms of insomnia and depression. The increased sleep from a more flexible schedule provides many benefits for “night owls” or those that generally don’t get enough sleep at all. The lack of sleep can lead to decreased or slower brain development and hypertension (high blood pressure) that could lead to strokes or heart attacks.
So while it is generally better to go to bed earlier and sleep longer, these studies show that the flexibility that the pandemic offers to remote workspaces has allowed people to find a balance that works for them and increase their sleep. What works for one person may not work for everyone else, so it is a good rule of thumb to listen to your body and also to medical professionals.
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