The pandemic brought on a new era of remote working for many businesses. Remote working raises a whole new set of challenges, and, for many of us, the biggest one is learning to separate home and work life. When working and sleeping in the same room, our sleeping pattern is more likely to be disrupted.
A survey conducted by Hammonds, the fitted wardrobe specialists, reported that out of 2,000 remote workers, 70% of them found their sleeping patterns to be disrupted in the first few weeks. One in four claimed that their sleeping pattern was ‘very disrupted’, and they experienced restless sleep every night when working from home.
18-24-year-olds experienced the most disrupted sleep at 84%, while only 60% of 55-64-year-olds had problems sleeping when working from home. Sleep disruption is often down to a poor work-life balance. For example, over a fifth of those working from home do so from their bedroom. Those working from their bedroom reported the most sleep disruption at a whopping 84%.
Remote workers should try to find a designated area for their work – whether it’s a corner of their living room or in the bathroom. The younger generation often can’t afford to live in a property with a home office. However, a small desk or corner of your home that is solely for work can help you switch off at the end of the day and, thus, improve your sleep pattern. As we move back into office work, employers are more open to flexible working arrangements to cater to remote workers.
Sleep consultant Lauren Peacock, from Little Sleep Stars, said: “Our day-to-day routine plays an important role in helping to anchor and regulate our circadian rhythm – the internal clock which guides us through each 24-hour period, cycling us between periods of wakefulness and sleep. When our circadian rhythm is interfered with, usually, so is our sleep.
“Even if we don’t think of ourselves as especially routine-driven, there are usually consistent elements to our day, occurring in a particular order. Activities such as the daily commute and regular lunch time, act as predictable cues for our body-clock and for many people they are no longer part of our day – there are fewer non-negotiables to keep us on a regular pattern.
She continued: “Those unused to working from home may have a less established structure for doing so leading to less consistency for their body-clock to anchor around.”
As the world begins to return to normal, some remote workers are excited to work from the office again. Remote workers are looking forward to socialising with their colleagues over coffee in the office kitchen and exchanging work ideas. While others are excited to reclaim their weekends and create stronger boundaries between work and home life.
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