How many hours do you sleep at night? The National Sleep Foundation, recommends that an adult sleep between 7 and 9 hours a night. According to National Safety Council (NSC), more than 43 percent of workers are sleep-deprived, and over 70 million Americans suffer from a sleep disorder. In the workplace, fatigue increases the risk of injury, accounting for approximately 13% of work-related injuries. Fatigue also decreases productivity, and accounts for $136 billion in lost productivity annually because of health related illnesses, which includes depression, headaches, obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Discussion Points:
• How many hours of sleep do you really need?
• How productivity is effected by fatigue.
• How workplace injuries increase due to fatigue.
• How fatigue affects your health
• Helpful sleep tips.

Discussion:
Did you know that being fatigued is equivalent to driving while impaired? According to NCS, getting 2 hours less of sleep during the night is like consuming 3 beers, and going more than twenty hours with no sleep is equivalent to being legally drunk. The following are some helpful sleep tips; follow a sleep schedule, avoid use of electrical devices before going to bed, sleep in a cool, quiet dark room on a comfortable bed, and avoid eating a large meal before going to bed. It is important to remember that being fatigued while at work does not only have an effect on you, but affects every employee.

As always, be safe out there!