Sleep in the Workplace: An Underestimated Driver of Performance

This interview was originally published on the CH Formation website in French.

Sleep is often seen as a private matter. Yet it directly influences concentration, decision-making, creativity, workplace relationships and employees' overall health. As organizations increasingly focus on preventing stress, burnout and psychosocial risks, sleep quality is emerging as one of the most underestimated drivers of sustainable performance.

We spoke with Diane Duperret, specialist in sustainable performance, stress management and sleep in the workplace. After nearly twenty years in the corporate world, including leadership roles within international organizations, Diane now partners with companies to strengthen the human capabilities that enable employees and leaders to sustain their health, engagement and performance over time.

CH Formation asked me five questions.

CH Formation: We hear a lot about stress at work, but much less about sleep. Why has sleep become such an important issue for organizations?

Because we still underestimate its impact. Whenever an organization talks about concentration, decision quality, safety, creativity or collaboration, it is also talking about sleep, whether it realizes it or not. Sleep is not simply an individual health issue. It is a genuine driver of human performance.

In Switzerland, nearly one in three people reports experiencing sleep difficulties. If one-third of the population is affected, it is reasonable to assume that a similar proportion exists within every organization. This is therefore not an isolated personal issue, but an organizational challenge.

What strikes me is that organizations invest heavily in developing technical skills, yet invest far less in the human capabilities that allow people to use those skills sustainably: managing their energy, recovering effectively, maintaining focus, regulating stress or making sound decisions under pressure. All of these capabilities depend, at least in part, on the quality of our sleep.

Sleep is probably one of the highest-return preventive investments an organization can make, yet it remains largely underutilized.

We spend a great deal of time learning how to work better, but very little time learning how to recover better. And yet, it is often the quality of our recovery that determines the quality of our performance.

Do managers have a role to play in preventing fatigue and burnout?

Absolutely, but not because they need to become sleep specialists. Rather, managers have a significant influence on the conditions that either support or undermine recovery.

A manager who sends emails late at night, glorifies excessively long working hours or constantly reinforces a culture of urgency sends a powerful message, often unintentionally: recovery comes after performance.

Alternatively, managers can normalize taking breaks, encourage moments of recovery, respect employees' right to disconnect and open conversations when fatigue becomes chronic.

I often remind leaders that recovery is not a reward after work. It is a capability that enables people to continue performing well over time. In fact, it is a prerequisite for sustainable performance.

What are the most common misconceptions about sleep?

There are many. The first is believing that sleep is only about quantity. Of course, getting enough sleep matters, but sleep quality, regularity and what happens during the day are equally important.

Another common misconception is that you can permanently compensate for a week of poor sleep simply by sleeping in at the weekend. While this may provide temporary relief, it does not address the underlying issue.

I also often hear people say, "I've always been a bad sleeper. That's just the way I am." Many believe they are doomed to sleep poorly. In reality, in most cases there are habits, behaviors or sources of stress that can be acted upon. While certain sleep disorders require medical support, many sleep difficulties can already improve through targeted lifestyle changes.

Finally, many people assume that sleep problems begin in the evening. In reality, the quality of our sleep is largely shaped by what happens throughout the day: our exposure to natural daylight, our level of physical activity, how we manage stress, whether we take moments to recover and our ability to gradually slow down before bedtime.

Sleep is far more a reflection of our overall balance than simply a part of our day.

What are the first signs that lack of sleep is beginning to affect professional performance?

The signs are often much more subtle than people imagine. We naturally think of fatigue, but that is rarely what concerns organizations first.

Instead, they notice employees who struggle to concentrate, make more mistakes, become more irritable, make more impulsive decisions or take longer to recover after demanding days. They may also observe reduced creativity, diminished adaptability and, in some professions, an increased risk of accidents where sustained attention is essential. According to SUVA, approximately one in five workplace accidents is linked to fatigue or insufficient sleep.

This clearly shows that sleep is not only an individual wellbeing issue. It also affects work quality and occupational safety.

Sleep deprivation acts almost like an invisible tax on our cognitive and emotional resources. We continue to function, but with significantly fewer resources available.

If you could give employees one simple piece of advice to improve their sleep sustainably, what would it be?

I would tell them not to start with their night. Start with your day. Ask yourself one simple question: "What did I do today that helped my sleep and what made it more difficult?" This shift in perspective changes everything. We begin to understand that good sleep is built gradually through moments of recovery, better stress management, exposure to natural morning light, breathing techniques that help calm the nervous system and by creating a genuine transition between work and personal life.

There is also one piece of advice that may sound obvious but remains surprisingly underapplied: try to switch off screens at least one hour before bedtime. Blue light, constant digital stimulation and ongoing mental engagement all tend to delay sleep onset and reduce sleep quality.

Improving sleep is not about transforming everything overnight. More often than not, it is the small habits, repeated consistently, that create the most lasting results.

Original publication on the CH Formation website here.