SNOO
Exhaustion’s High Cost in the Work Place
If employers focus on improving sleep, it lowers the risk of so many other concerns.
Written by
Dr. Harvey Karp
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SNOO
Written by
Dr. Harvey Karp
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It’s time for big corporations and little start-ups (and everyone in between) to get serious about sleep. Like Arianna Huffington says, if you want to succeed in business, get more rest so you can “sleep your way to the top!”
It’s a no-brainer! Sleep deprivation is deeply destructive to employee retention, creativity, productivity and causes errors, accidents, health costs and liability. The CDC declared exhaustion a “public health problem.” In hard dollar terms, a Harvard study estimates it costs companies 11-days of lost productivity (about $2,280 per worker!).
“In an information-based economy," Ronald C. Kessler, the study’s author, explains about fatigue, "it is difficult to find a condition that has a greater effect on productivity.”
In the workplace, absenteeism is a problem, and so is presenteeism—tired employees showing up at work but not getting much done. On-the-job accidents and medical errors happen more frequently, too. Tired new parents—usually running on 6 hours of sleep or less—often have cognitive impairment comparable to being…drunk. And, if 30% of the work force is sleep deprived, that almost doubles for new parents.
Patagonia's CEO estimated the loss of an employee costs about 125% for managers, 200+% for directors or above (lost productivity, recruitment, relocation, training new hire, etc.). In fact, according to the federal government, more than a third of new mothers don’t return to work within the first year after their child’s birth.
“Whether to be a good parent or a good employee shouldn’t be a decision employees have to make,” says Lisa Horn, Director of Congressional Affairs for the Society of Human Resources Management. “I think employers generally want to do all they can to support employees, so they ultimately return to work.”
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Exhausted new parent employees have reduced retention, loyalty and productivity and higher errors, accidents and health costs.
Brushed off as a mere nuisance or universal rite of passage, exhaustion is actually a true danger to new mothers and fathers. It commonly triggers a cascade of serious problems, including marital conflict, divorce, postpartum depression and anxiety, breastfeeding failure, car accidents, obesity, and even infant death from risky sleep practises.
Lack of sleep tempts many parents to make risky choices. When babies sleep poorly, parents often lay their baby tummy-down (because they fuss less that way) or succumb to falling asleep on a couch or bed, with the baby tucked next to them. These unsafe sleep practises put babies at much higher risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and suffocation. Roughly 3,600 deaths/year are attributed to SIDS. About 70% of these babies are found dead in an adult bed or other unsafe location.
Exhaustion is also a top trigger for Postpartum Depression and Anxiety. That affects 1 in 5 new moms (and 25% of their partners), causing over 700,000 US cases/year. (In Canada, postpartum mental stress reportedly affects almost 1 in 4 new moms!)
That’s the bad news, but the good news is that today we have access to a simple, low cost intervention that can quickly improve infant sleep.
SNOO Smart Sleeper is a totally new type of baby bed. Its science-based approach of providing soothing, womb-like rhythms earned it the National Sleep Foundation’s Innovation of the Year award (along with 17 other top national/international honors).
In the world’s largest, prospective study (n=7157), SNOO is proven to add 1-2 hours to a baby’s sleep. And, it has a special swaddle sack that prevents the danger of rolling to the stomach (associated with almost 50% of all infant sleep deaths).
Today, dozens of top companies, like Activision, Snap, Qualcomm, Weight Watchers, Newscorp, Under Armor, Hulu and more, now offer SNOOs to all new-parent employees. The ROI is immediate: Higher retention, loyalty, productivity + lower errors, accidents, absenteeism, health costs.
SNOO is by far the best maternity benefit we’ve ever offered. The feedback is phenomenal! —Rahab Hammad, Snap Benefits Manager
Employees are absolutely crazy about it! It’s been an amazing game changer! —Milt Ezzard, VP of Global Benefits, Activision Blizzard
Our 2-month-old sleeps quietly and soundly in SNOO every night…and we sleep better than I ever expected with a newborn! —Heather Thorne, Director, Chief of Staff, Hardware, Google
By boosting sleep, SNOO quickly stops the physical, mental and economic problems caused by sleep deprivation…and it simultaneously activates a virtuous cycle where new parents feel more rested, more successful, more in love…and where babies are healthier, happier—and sleep better—for the entire first year…and beyond!
Interested in bringing SNOO to your company? It’s easy and there are no inventory or sign-up costs! Simply email corporaterental@happiestbaby.com to learn more.
Disclaimer: The information on our site is NOT medical advice for any specific person or condition. It is only meant as general information. If you have any medical questions and concerns about your child or yourself, please contact your health provider. Breastmilk is the best source of nutrition for babies. It is important that, in preparation for and during breastfeeding, mothers eat a healthy, balanced diet. Combined breast- and bottle-feeding in the first weeks of life may reduce the supply of a mother's breastmilk and reversing the decision not to breastfeed is difficult. If you do decide to use infant formula, you should follow instructions carefully.
