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While a lack of sleep may certainly be part of the reason someone ends up being burnt out, it’s actually a problem in all three phases of burnout – before, during and after – and needs to be addressed.
So says Dr Alison Bentley, Restonic sleep expert and medical doctor at the Restonic Ezintsha Sleep Clinic in Parktown, Johannesburg. “Crucially, the poor sleep may be blamed on work stress, but may be due to organic sleep disorders such as insomnia or obstructive sleep apnoea,” she says. “In addition, daytime fatigue from any sleep disorder can be mistaken for early burnout.”
With 10% of adults predicted to have chronic insomnia and 40% of adults to have some form of apnoea – a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts – these are important disorders to find and treat.
Figure out why you’re not sleeping
Dr Bentley says one of the main causes of insomnia is insomnia disorder, where the insomnia occurs without any particular cause, and which keeps itself going due to hyperarousal of thoughts and anxiety before bed.
“Studies show that thinking about work during off hours is significantly linked to the development of burnout, and this worrying about work would also increase the risk of insomnia,” she notes. “Many people also work at night and try to go to sleep immediately after closing their laptops, which often leads to a delay in falling asleep, and fewer hours of sleep at night as a result.”
Sleeping when you’re burnt out
Once burnout begins, the sleep of people with symptoms of burnout is worse than those without burnout, says Dr Bentley.
“It appears to be vitally important that sleep is better during the recovery phase of burnout. Poor sleep has been linked to slower recovery and an increased risk of not working up to two years after burnout.” She says. “Those people who sleep better during treatment get back to work faster. ”
Taking time to wind down
In a situation where you are working late into the night, make sure that you have at least one hour after working to get your brain into the right state for falling asleep, Dr Bentley advises. “Close the laptop and let your work thoughts swirl around for a while, then distract yourself with reading a novel or watching a short programme on TV.
“Get ready for bed 30 minutes before bedtime – keep it slow – put on pyjamas, brush teeth, etc. Get into bed and find a deliberate distraction to keep your mind off work, to allow the sleepiness to develop.”
Finally, she advises that if you have sleep difficulties not solved by that technique and you are worried about getting sufficient good quality sleep, it’s vital you speak to your doctor.