Organizational psychologist Michelle van Laethem did research on 44 PhD students who were preparingfor their thesis. The measured stress level of the PhD students increased strongly as their PhD defence approached. Immediately after this, the stress decreased sharply. The quality of sleep did not deteriorate while preparing for the defence, but it greatly improved immediately after the event.
Prolonged Stress
Van Laethem: “What struck me was that stress during the baseline, four weeks before the defence, was increased compared to the four weeks after the defence. So that means that the candidates are already experiencing increased stress levels for quite a long time before the defence”.
Van Laethem’s research not only demonstrates that stress has a negative impact on sleep quality, but also that poor sleep is predictive of increased stress. Work related worriesremain an important part in the reciprocal relationship between stress and sleep.
“It seems that the process is a vicious circle. Stress makes for poor sleep, which in turn provides additional stress”, says Van Laethem. “It is indeed a logical conclusion. But that is not uncommon with this kind of research. From studying theresearch archives, it turns out that little research has been done on the subject. For the first time we have done more extensive research into the relationship between stress, worry and sleep, so we can really say something about it and give some tips to the employers and employeeson how to deal with it. Sleeping problems cause a risk to a person's functioning and health”.
Breaking the Vicious Circle
It is obviously not nice once you are in such a vicious circle. Here are some tips on how to break out of it:
For employers:
Try to avoid high stress for your employees:
- Make sure the job requirements are challenging but not too high.
- Rule with sufficient autonomy, social support and job variety for your employees.
- Ensure a good balance in work-rest schedules.
Provide employees practical tools to prevent stress and offer timely recovery periods, such as:
- Work (time) flexibility
- Facilitate psychological or other professional support in work-related stress and / or insomnia.
For employees:
Ensure optimal recovery during your recreation time (e.g. sports, meeting friends, but also adequate sleep).
Ensure proper sleep hygiene (such as going to bed at fixed times, and avoid coffee or other caffeine-containing drinks before bedtime).
Avoid mulling,for example by positive distractions such as music or reading.
Discuss your work-related stress and / or sleep complaints in a timely manner with your supervisor.
Source: https://www.jobbird.com
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