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Just over a year ago, most Singaporeans imagined working from home to be a dream scenario – where you can get work done from your living room (or even your bed), never need to change out of your pyjamas, and still be paid a full salary!
Plus, you could look after your kids, grab snacks from the refrigerator, and take “Netflix breaks” every now and then – all without worrying about your boss breathing down your shoulder.
The reality of working from home
When this dream scenario turned into a reality for many in 2020, what they found was that remote working wasn’t as glamorous as they had imagined – and one area of life that seems to have suffered significantly, has (perhaps surprisingly) been the quality and quantity of our sleep.
Why are we sleeping less?
With the ability to actually work on our bed, why have more Singaporeans reported less sleep over the past year? It seems that our “work from home” habits – and the expectations placed on us during this period – must take a lot of the blame.
No office hours means that every hour can be an “office hour”
One scenario we’re seeing fairly often, is how employees are now expected to be “on call” from morning till night. There are several assumptions taking place here:
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Our work laptops, files and materials are just next to us – so why not just flip open the laptop and get this “5-minute task” done now, rather than tomorrow? (Note: We all know… these tasks always take more than 5 minutes.)
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Companies also assume that employees can now schedule their own time, which means that meetings late into the evenings (or even past midnight) have somehow become acceptable practice. This is especially common with employees who have colleagues working across the world in (very) different time zones.
Doubling up on work
As companies report lower revenue figures, one way they maintain profitability is by cutting down on employee numbers. This affects the employees who remain, in two big ways – many now take on two (or multiple) roles with added workloads, and they’re too afraid of losing their jobs to talk about it with management – so they end up accepting whatever responsibilities are tossed at them.
This means more stress, added anxiety, less time, and fewer sleeping hours.
How to reclaim your sleep
Ironically, employees who work longer and sleep less, eventually end up contributing less to their employers in the long run – as a lack of sleep causes fatigue, a lack of productivity, worsens focus, and can certainly send you to the doctor more often.
Here are a few ways you can reclaim some balance in your life and enjoy your better quality sleep at night.
Set boundaries between your work and personal life
During working hours, dedicate yourself to getting your entire day’s work done. This means not thinking, “I could take a break now and finish this after dinner” – and it also means being firm with only looking at after work requests the next day. (As long as it’s not incredibly urgent, of course.)
Sometimes, it’s our ego that gets in the way, as we feel the urge to “look good” by sending emails and completing tasks after working hours. If you’re doing this, be mindful of this behaviour and put a stop to it – your colleagues will appreciate it as well, as there will be one less person who’s contributing to the “working after work” culture (and one more reason why they can allow themselves to relax after working hours too).
Officially adjust your working hours, if needed
If you constantly find yourself in meetings late into the evening because a project requires you to collaborate with colleagues at the other end of the globe, speak to your boss about officially adjusting your working hours.
Whether it’s starting work at a later timing (so you can sleep in after late-night meetings), or even splitting your workdays into morning and evening shifts (so you can sleep in the afternoon), making this “official” will allow you to plan your days and resting hours better – and remove any guilt you may have about sleeping in after a midnight Zoom call.
Get a latex mattress for higher quality sleep
It isn’t only the number of hours of sleep you get that’s important, your quality of sleep matters too. If you’re waking up tired, even after seven or eight hours of sleep, that’s a sign of low-quality sleep – often resulting from a mattress that isn’t providing you with the right balance of comfort and support.
If you haven’t tried a high-quality latex mattress, visit a showroom to try a Sofzsleep latex mattress. Within seconds, you’ll feel the difference between our latex mattress and conventional mattresses.
Our series of natural latex mattresses are available in various levels of plushness and support – from super soft to very firm – and provide an amazing balance of comfort and back support, so your body (and mind) can enjoy a fantastic night’s sleep.
And you can wake up refreshed every morning, ready to turn in another focused and productive workday!
Browse Sofzsleep’s mattress and mattress accessories product collections online today:
Do feel free to contact us if you have any questions or would like to visit our showrooms.
