M11: Sleep Support

(2 points)

INTENT

Support healthy, restorative and consistent sleep habits among occupants. 

SUMMARY

This WELL feature requires projects to support employee sleep through policies, education and resources to improve sleep hygiene as well as provide opportunities to take short naps during the day.

ISSUE

Adults should sleep seven or more hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health. Unfortunately, many adults are not getting the sleep they need. For example, over 30% of employed U.S. adults reported an average sleep duration of six or fewer hours per day, a risk that rises to 44% among night-shift workers. Regularly sleeping fewer than seven hours per night is associated with a number of chronic, adverse health outcomes, including weight gain and obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, stroke and depression. Additionally, insufficient sleep is associated with impaired immune function, increased pain and anxiety, impaired performance and productivity, increased errors and greater risk of accidents. The fatigue associated with insufficient sleep (six or fewer hours per 24-hour period) puts individuals at risk for drowsy driving, which is linked to an estimated 20% of vehicle crashes and 6,000 fatal crashes per year in the U.S. alone. The factors contributing to poor and insufficient sleep are diverse and include both occupational (e.g., overnight shift work, long working hours) and lifestyle or behavioral (e.g., use of technology in the evening, inconsistent bedtimes, lack of exercise, caffeine and alcohol intake, eating habits) influences.

SOLUTIONS

Engaging in work-related activities during evening hours after work, especially through the use of technology, can impact sleep quality. Targeted interventions, such as sleep training programs and education as well as limits on working hours and schedule, can help support individuals in achieving sufficient and high quality sleep. Additionally, short (less than 30 minute duration) afternoon naps may lead to benefits in mood, alertness and cognitive performance, such as productivity and learning.

IMPACT

Sleep is a fundamental element of human health. By prioritizing good sleep, employers can make a significant impact on the short- and long-term health, well-being and productivity of employees.

REQUIREMENTS

Part 1

Provide Workplace Sleep Support (1 point)

Verified by Policy Document, Educational Materials, Photographic evidence

For All Spaces

The following requirements are met:

1. Eligible employees are allowed to engage in a minimum of one 20 - 30 minute nap during the day.
2. Educational materials are available on daytime napping (e.g., optimal time of day, strategies for minimization of nighttime sleep distribution).
3. At least one of the furniture options below is provided per 100 eligible employees and placed in a calm, quiet and low-light environment:

   1. Bed or daybed.

   2. Couch.

   3. Cushioned roll-out mat.

   4. Sleep pod.

   5. Fully reclining chair.

   6. Hammock.

4. Projects address healthy sleep habits among employees who engage in shift work, including:
   1. Protocol to avoid unplanned changes to shift schedule, including providing minimum advance notice of schedule changes.

   2. Educational materials on strategies to minimize fatigue, maintain good sleep hygiene and manage sleep problems associated with shift work.

 

Note: Education must be culturally appropriate and literacy level appropriate. Education can come in the form of trainings, brochures, videos, posters, pamphlets, newsletters and/or other written or online information. 

If the requirements of Part 1: Provide Workplace Sleep Support are met through the provision of educational materials, then these can be counted toward Part 2: Promote Health and Wellness Education in Feature C01: Health and Wellness Awareness.

Part 2

Provide Non-Workplace Sleep Support (1 point)

Verified by Policy Document, Educational Materials

For All Spaces

Employee sleep support:

The following requirements are met:

1. Projects implement the following policies to support employees in achieving a minimum seven hours of sleep:

   1. For non-shift work, an organizational cap is in place that sets expectations that work and communications be limited to the project or organization's business hours in the local time zone.
   2. For shift work, work and communications are expected only for the duration of the employee's shift.

2. All eligible employees have access to software, applications or other tools that monitor sleep influencing behavior, covering, at minimum, sleep schedule, physical activity and eating patterns (including caffeine and alcohol consumption). Projects provide one of the following:

   1. Paid monitoring tools at no cost or subsidized by at least 50%.
   2. Easily accessible list of free monitoring tools.
3. Provide occupants with education materials on environmental and behavioral determinants of sleep quality and duration, covering, at minimum, sleep schedule, sleep environment, physical activity, nutrition (including caffeine and alcohol), light exposure, and use of technology.   

Student start times:

The following requirement is met:

1. For students in secondary schools, the school day starts no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

 

 

Note: Education must be culturally appropriate and literacy level appropriate. Education can come in the form of trainings, brochures, videos, posters, pamphlets, newsletters and/or other written or online information.  

If the requirements of Part 2: Provide Non-Workplace Sleep Support are met through the provision of educational materials, then these can be counted toward Part 2: Promote Health and Wellness Education in Feature C01: Health and Wellness Awareness.

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