The novel coronavirus has impacted all forms of life and has put everything on a halt for some time now. The pandemic has led to the world’s Work-From-Home experiment as organizations are now forced to shut offices to prevent transmission of the virus.
Although one would like a work-from-home experience occasionally, the nationwide lockdowns have highlighted some major flows in the process. Work from home is not the blissful experience that most Indians expected it to be, discovers the latest pan-India survey of over 1,500 respondents, conducted by sleep solutions firm, Wakefit.co.
According to a recent study “Work From Home” by the mattress manufacturer, about 81% of the respondents feel they will sleep better post the lockdown.
Since India announced its 21-day lockdown starting 25th March, 2020, Wakefit.co has been auditing the changes in patterns and quality of sleep and the associated impact on life itself, across the country. The ‘Work from Home’ study has participants from Bengaluru, Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and other Indian cities, with 55% respondents in the 26-35 years age group and 20% in the 36-45 years age bracket.
Several companies have had their employees working from home owing to the lockdown and this has led to disruptions in sleep schedules, as per the study. While 67% reported that working from home has altered their sleep schedule, 50% believed it has disrupted their sleep patterns.
“As social distancing becomes a way of life, people all over the country are trying to manage their health, households and finances in the face of challenging times. While working from home cuts down on travel time and would be a perk otherwise, the lockdown has adversely affected people’s quality of sleep. This survey will provide us with actionable insights to strengthen our response to the current crises. Sleep is not just an immunity booster but also an essential function to help the body and mind respond optimally to any challenging situation. These are testing times and the only way to emerge stronger is to ensure the well-being of our bodies and minds” said Chaitanya Ramalingegowda, Co-founder and Director, Wakefit.co.
Impact of lockdown
The survey indicates that there has been a 40% rise in late-night sleepers post the lockdown. Before the nationwide lockdown came into effect last month, 25% respondents went to bed after midnight, a number that has shot up to 35% after the lockdown. Even the hours of sleep seem to have taken a hit. 25% of respondents used to get less than 6 hours of sleep under regular circumstances. Now, 36% of the respondents fall in that category.
Triggered anxiety and increasing stress levels
The study also found that the lockdown and pandemic has triggered anxiety which prevents their sound sleep. The Covid-19 pandemic has triggered anxieties vis-à-vis job security, managing finances, health of family and friends, consequently accounting for sleepless nights among respondents. 49% said that they were staying up late due to lockdown-induced stress while 15% said it was due to working late hours.
Binge watching
Interestingly, 14% of people were found to be compromising on sleep because of binge watching shows while 19% said that it is due to a poor mattress or bed space.
But how to sleep better?
One of the easiest ways to improve sleep, experts concur, is to maintain the sanctity of the sleep space. Using the bed as a workstation or eating area can adversely impact sleep patterns. 59% of participants in the survey said they work from their beds, while 56% used their sleep space for eating and watching online content on their phones or laptops.
Reducing TV time, increasing levels of physical activity and adhering to the same pre-lockdown work-hour routine will drastically improve the quality of sleep. Incidentally, 50% of respondents felt their sleep space could be made better by dedicating it only to sleep. Other activities that they believed would help them sleep better were adjusting the light, creating a sleep ritual, adding aromatic scents, listening to music or white noise and following guided sleep meditation.
Sandeep is a journalism and mass communication graduate with a keen interest in politics and business. He is a part of Research & Content team at HrNxt.com.