So the FAA issued some new guidelines regarding rest periods for pilots last week
This makes sense. After all, we all know that lack of sleep makes us less alert.
So my question is, why is this idea limited to pilots? After all, lack of sleep doesn’t just affect your ability to fly a plane. It affects one’s ability to think up marketing strategies, make hiring decisions, write software, write a book, run a meeting, you name it. Young doctors go thru a whole year of sleep deprivation. Not sure I want someone who has been up all night sticking a needle in me. After all, they are crabby and they might have me confused with the guy one bed over.
I sometimes talk to folks at companies and I will start with a hearty “good morning!” This isn’t just a default greeting. I am testing audience energy and responsiveness, and all too often, I get a mumbled “hmmmphfflplgg” . . . And when I here that, I know I have to wake them up from a sleep-deprived state. This is the norm. We live in a culture that has a terribly macho attitude towards the need for rest.
I confess, when I hired orchestras, I always made sure there was plenty of coffee and sugary snacks. This was not out of the goodness of my heart. I wanted make sure everyone was awake.
I wonder if maybe some companies, along with all their other compliance officers and whatnot, should consider a “sleep” officer, who makes sure employees are arriving at work with adequate rest. After all, if someone is showing up to work tired, that’s not that far removed from showing up impaired in some other manner.
I am not saying all the weight should be on the employee. far from it. I think along with workout rooms and cafeterias, companies should offer catnap rooms as well. I guarantee you, productivity would go up when folks with small kids and long commutes could grab 40 winks after lunch, instead of forcing themselves thru the day on coffee and sugar. certainly, when it comes to a “thought worker” who has to be creative, this is key to making them work at top efficiency.
–jl
