First Published in Conference News Magazine in March 2019
There are always those certain points in the year that you can tell it’s changed seasons. Whether it’s related to what you wear, whether you have an umbrella or pair of sunglasses in hand as you leave the house or what type of enquiries you are getting in for future events. Add to that the changing of the clocks, this is one of those times of year.
As we change the clocks, we change how much sunlight we get and how much sleep we get. Now the science-y bit is that our main source of Vitamin D is sunlight and lower levels of vitamin D have been associated with greater drowsiness in the day and the amount of melatonin released by our bodies, impacting how tired we feel, can also be impacted by changes in the amount of sun we get.
Our industry is way above the industry average for those with sleep problems, our Stress Matters research found that nearly 3 out of 4 reported issues with sleep and with the UK average around 1 in 3 according to the NHS, we have a bigger problem than most parts of the country.
A lack of sleep can impact our short-term and long-term memory and limits our creativity and problem-solving skills – all pretty important things in this fast-paced, unpredictable industry. Our Stress Matters research found that the average number of hours sleep whilst on an event is 4 to 6, with 20% of events staff managing on less than four hours per night.
Between 9 and 38 minutes is the minimum amount of sun each of us needs a day to keep up our vitamin d levels, so the more we can take a quick walk outside to get our lunch or do walking meetings, the better chance we have of a calmer approach to problem-solving, greater creativity and a good night’s sleep.
Stress Matters pledge number eight is to offer support to those team members that have sleep problems. So with the changing of the clocks, let this be the month that you change your approach to how we view sleep.
