Working from home offers many potential benefits, from less commute stress to increased schedule flexibility. But by also doing so, you could be more prone to falling asleep at work. A person working from home could become overworked due to long hours or an indefinite start and stop time. Over time, the fatigue will make you more prone to grogginess or create a need for sleep during work.
Meet Your Colleagues in Person
Although meeting virtually may be easier to communicate amongst employees, face-to-face interactions allow for employees to bond and interact in a way you cannot online. It also allows you to get out of the comfort of your home into a more energized setting. For example, you could go out for coffee with your co-workers(s) to get a caffeine boost.
When people work from home, they tend to eat their meals while they work. Looking at a computer screen for hours on end can affect your sleep schedule. Most computer screens are backlit with blue light. Researchers found in a study that the blue wavelengths electronic screens emit interfere with the production of melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone. To hinder this, you could go out to eat with your co-worker(s) to give yourself a break from your screen.
Drink Caffeine Before Work
To combat grogginess or falling asleep at work, you could start your day off with a caffeine boost. You could get your caffeine boost for the day from drinks such as coffee or an energy drink. Research has shown that coffee specifically increases brain function, mood, energy level, and reaction time. If you are not a big coffee drinker there are many energy drink options. Energy drinks can also help you to stay alert and prevent falling asleep at work. It is good to note that you should only drink 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per day. Caffeine and sleep have an inverse correlation to one another that can affect you.
Create a Consistent Schedule
Having a flexible schedule is beneficial because you can choose when you work, but it could also mean you put off work till later times. If you do activities during the day and start work later at night, you could be more prone to sleep during work. There are many different health risks you could develop by working at night such as a sleep disorder or a problem with your blood pressure. To hinder these problems, you can create a set schedule for yourself to work. By creating a set schedule, you could still work later than the average office worker while still getting work done at a reasonable hour. Another benefit to having a consistent work schedule is a consistent sleep schedule.
Seek Out Professionals for Further Help
If you have tried all the tips above and still have issues with grogginess or falling asleep at work you can seek out further help with your issue. Reaching out to talk with someone about a problem is always beneficial. At Jacksonville Sleep Center, you can meet with our team of sleep specialists to further discuss your sleep habits. Call us today or book an appointment with one of our sleep specialists today to start your journey to a better night’s sleep.
