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Dr. David Cunnington
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Dr. David Cunnington is a specialist in sleep medicine, experienced in diagnosing and treating a broad range of sleep disorders including sleep apnea, narcolepsy, insomnia, parasomnias and restless legs syndrome. He is Director of Melbourne Sleep Disorders Centre and Acting Director of the Department of Respiratory & Sleep Medicine at Western Hospital.
In addition to holding the highest qualification in sleep medicine awarded in Australia, Dr. Cunnington is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), and is certified by the AASM as an International Sleep Specialist and International Behavioral Sleep Medicine Specialist. He is a regular invited speaker at national and international meetings, and is actively involved sleep-related research, education and training.
Visit the website for Melbourne Sleep Disorders Centre www.msdc.com.au |
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Workplace fatigue – how to be more alert at work |
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How many of you have ever suffered that 3 p.m. office slump and as a result hunted down a sugary soda or chocolate bar for a superficial energy boost, or even snuck in a standing power nap in the stationery closet?
In modern society, it is often difficult to find the balance between fulfilling all of our commitments and allowing enough time for sleep.
Clocking on and commuting longer
We are working longer hours – over 60 hours per week in some cases – and as traffic congestion increases, taking longer to get to and from the office everyday. The end result is many of us are feeling tired and fatigued, both at home and at work. In shift-workers this can be an even greater problem, as the body struggles to adapt to being awake and sleeping at irregular times.
Whilst fatigue can be caused by varying factors, some work-related factors include: long hours at work, a long commute to and from work, ongoing physical or mental activity, not enough breaks, and ill-lit or poorly set out workplaces.
Being tired at work can lead to poor performance – and even serious accidents. It can reduce your capacity for concentration, decision making, complex planning, communication, productivity, attention and vigilance, and effectively dealing with stress. It can also increase your tendency for forgetfulness, errors in judgment, sick leave, and workplace injuries and accidents.
Whether you work in an office, factory, on the road, or out in the field, it’s important to take measures to overcome workplace fatigue.
Overcome workplace fatigue
Plan your day : Some work tasks require more or less concentration than others. It is helpful to recognize our own pattern of fatigue, and note what time of the day we are at our best and worst.
This way, tasks that require thinking and planning can be done when we are at our best, and tasks that are more repetitive and don’t require as much thinking or planning – or that are more stimulating – can be done at a time when we are usually most fatigued.
Lap up the bright lights : Light exposure can be used to increase alertness throughout the day, and a well-lit workplace can help to counter fatigue. Try moving your desk closer to the window, turning up the overhead lights, or simply investing in a desk lamp.
During winter, when it is often dark before work, using specific bright light lamps can increase alertness and have also been shown to help seasonal affective disorder or winter ‘blues’.
Exercise yourself alert : Exercise has an alerting effect that lasts for hours. It doesn’t have to be intense exercise – even a brisk walk around the block can make a difference.
Combining exercise with light exposure can have an even better effect. Fitting in some exercise and natural daytime light exposure in the morning before work and then getting outside again at lunchtime can be helpful at counter-acting fatigue.
Stay stimulated : In the same way as light and exercise can help with fatigue, so can a workplace where there is noise and activity or some other type of constant stimulation. When an environment is quiet with little activity, fatigue can be much more noticeable and have a greater impact.
Take a break : Periodically relax and stretch, especially if your job involves long hours in front of a computer or operating a machine. Try getting up and walking around the office – or even just to the water cooler or photocopier and back – every 30 minutes or so if you can.
If your job involves driving a vehicle ensure that you have a break at least every two hours. A short power nap of up to 15 minutes can help with concentration and alertness.
Make time for lunch and always eat breakfast : Regular, healthy meals provide the fuel that helps us power through the day. Skipping meals can lead to poor food choices or larger meals later in the day, which can interfere with sleep.
Additionally, recent data has shown that when we don’t get enough sleep, our appetite increases and we choose saltier foods that are high in carbohydrate, resulting in weight gain. Also, when we are tired it is hard to maintain the motivation for exercise, further contributing to weight gain, and not getting enough sleep changes the way our bodies handle sugar, possibly leading to diabetes.
Sleep, sleep, sleep: The best way to counteract workplace fatigue is to allow adequate time for sleep, and to ensure that your sleep is of good quality.
When you go to bed, make sure that you are relaxed and have had adequate time to wind down or switch off from the day’s activities. Also, make sure that your bedroom environment is appropriate for sleep. Invest in some heavy curtains to help shield out light and noise and avoid having computers, pagers, mobile phones or televisions in the bedroom.
Ongoing problem
Caffeine is the most commonly used drug in Western societies, while the growing industry in energy drinks reflects just how common a problem daytime fatigue is. Whilst self-medicating with caffeine and other energy drinks may temporarily help with fatigue, not getting enough sleep has major long-term effects on our health and daily performance.
If, despite all of the above, workplace fatigue remains a significant problem, it should be discussed with your doctor. Tiredness and fatigue out of proportion to what would be expected when we are getting adequate sleep can be an early sign of physical or mental illness, or occur as a side-effect of both prescription and over-the-counter medications.
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