Whether you’re the manager of a team or are in charge of the Human Resources department for a company, your focus is on the people within the team and how they impact the business’s success. When interviewing new talent, you often look for red flags that indicate the prospect may not be an ideal fit for your company. But something you don’t uncover during the hiring process is if the individual has a health condition, such as sleep apnea, that may impact their job performance.
Employees suffering from obstructive sleep apnea may demonstrate mood swings, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and other ill effects due to their sleep deprivation. To help you determine how and when sleep apnea screenings should be used in the workplace, ApneaMed has put together a comprehensive guide on how this sleep disorder impacts job performance.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes an individual to experience breathing disruptions throughout the night. This occurs when the soft tissues in their throat collapse and cause a blockage in their airway, resulting in coughing, choking, or gasping as they attempt to reopen their airway in their sleep. Although the individual often does not recall these breathing cessations, they find themselves feeling unrested even after getting a full night’s sleep.
How Sleep Apnea Affects Job Performance
If your employees are suffering from sleep apnea, they may not be getting the rest they need to be productive during the day. Let’s take a look at how sleep apnea impacts job performance.
Mental Health
Your employee’s mental health is of the utmost importance when it comes to their attitude at work. Because their mood is directly impacted by the amount and quality of sleep they’re receiving, they are more susceptible to mood swings, irritability, and crankiness throughout the day if they aren’t getting enough shut-eye. As a result, this can create a toxic work environment if their negative mood turns into passive-aggressive remarks or impatience towards colleagues.
Productivity
Just like you can’t expect a car to operate when it runs out of gas, your employees won’t be able to perform adequately if they aren’t constantly recharging themselves each night. If the employee isn’t getting enough sleep, they may work slower through projects, show up late for work, or have a difficult time concentrating on the tasks on their to-do list — which can leave them working late into the night, leaving them with even less sleep.
Illness
When your employees aren’t getting enough sleep, their immune system weakens, and they become more susceptible to illness. If you notice an employee calling out more frequently than others or using all of their sick days, they may not be getting enough sleep to recharge and strengthen their immune system to protect them from colds and viruses. As a result, projects and deadlines may be might or deals may be lost if someone else on the team isn’t able to pick up the slack.
ApneaMed Provides At-Home Sleep Apnea Testing
Depending on the industry you’re in, it may be beneficial to include sleep apnea screening as part of your hiring process. In doing so, you’ll ensure that all employees are provided with the necessary treatment plan and breathing equipment that will enable them to put their best selves forward throughout the workday.
If you’re looking for a sleep apnea test for your prospective or existing employees, ApneaMed can help. Contact our team to learn more about our tools for sleep apnea screenings.