Sleep as the Foundation of Resilience: Why Workplace Exhaustion Begins at Night

When discussing psychological well-being in the workplace, where do you think the problem typically begins, and why is it so often rooted in sleep?

Although sleep is a basic biological need, it is often the first thing people sacrifice when they come under pressure at work. However, research shows that chronic sleep deprivation impairs attention, decision-making, self-control, and the ability to regulate emotions. Paradoxically, this shows up at work as a decline in performance, higher error rates, and poorer team collaboration.

Furthermore, sleep has a direct link to stress. When we don't sleep, the brain stays in a state of high alert. Activity in the amygdala increases, leading to oversensitivity and heightened anxiety, while the function of the prefrontal cortex, the center for rational thinking, is weakened. This results in poor decision-making under pressure. Ultimately, we enter a vicious cycle where work stress ruins our sleep, and poor sleep increases our stress at work.

What role does quality sleep play in a person's psychological resilience and their ability to handle the daily workload?

A completely vital one. Quality sleep is one of the main pillars of psychological resilience. During sleep, the brain regenerates, clears out toxins, and consolidates memory traces. Without these processes, a person loses the ability to cope with pressure.

Sleep also strengthens our ability to regulate emotions. Many of my clients describe how, when their sleep is disrupted, even routine work situations suddenly become frustrating. Once we manage to improve their sleep, they immediately handle pressure, uncertainty, and criticism much better.

In your view, how can one tell the difference between normal fatigue and long-term sleep disruption that is starting to affect performance, emotions, and workplace relationships?

Normal fatigue is a state with a clear cause and a clear timeframe. If we know we've had a demanding day or a bad night's sleep for a specific reason, and our state returns to normal after resting, there is no cause for concern. With long-term disrupted sleep, the exhaustion is almost constant, and a one-off rest doesn't solve the problem.

A major warning sign is the decline in work performance and relationships mentioned earlier. A chronically sleep-deprived person is irritable, more emotionally volatile, and has a lower tolerance for frustration. In workplace relationships, they might become more confrontational or, conversely, withdraw from social contact. The danger is that if we feel our work results no longer match the energy we're putting in, we may tend to "catch up" on work in the evenings, which only makes the problem worse.

Do you find that people tend to downplay the signs of sleep deprivation? Which warning signs are most commonly overlooked?

Unfortunately, yes. Clients often come to me to resolve workplace issues, and at that moment, it doesn't even occur to them to consider how they are sleeping. It is only when we focus on sleep during a consultation that we discover where the problem truly begins. A person who isn't getting enough sleep simply lacks the cognitive resources to function effectively at work.

Some people view fatigue as a personal failure rather than a biological signal from the body. A lot depends on the corporate culture of the organization. If a company normalizes and encourages behaviors like answering emails late into the night, it’s a problem. An exhausted employee is definitely not a more productive one.

When it comes to warning signs, people have a tendency to downplay the psychological ones. If we have a persistent headache or digestive issues, we usually take action. However, when the first symptoms are poor decision-making, irritability, or cynicism, people tend to attribute them to external workplace factors. They don't realize that the root cause is actually disrupted sleep.

What would you recommend to people who feel they don't have time to sleep because their "constantly active mind" simply won't let them?

This is a complex topic. But if I were to give one recommendation, it would be to create a "transition ritual" to close the day. During this time, we stop engaging in work or mentally demanding tasks and prepare the body and mind for rest.

If an unfinished task pops into your head during this time, write it down on paper. This gives your brain the signal that it no longer needs to hold that information in its active memory. For people with an overloaded mind, this simple act of "offloading" can be more effective than traditional relaxation techniques.

Sleep deprivation is often closely linked to stress. What type of workplace stress do you see most often among employees and managers today?

I see the stress of constant mental availability as the most problematic today. We feel the need to always be "in the loop," tracking various pieces of information, reacting to emails and messages, and shifting priorities on the fly. Biologically, our brains are wired to handle short-term crises followed by a period of rest. Today, however, we function in environments where stress isn't necessarily dramatic, but it is constant and has no clear endpoint. This "always-on" state has the most damaging impact on sleep.

Among managers, I also frequently see stress stemming from high responsibility and pressure for results without having enough actual control, for example, over resources, priorities, or the pace of change. On top of that, there is often the internal pressure of self-imposed, excessive demands.