Cotton Court Business Centre based Invoke Media has commissioned sleep experts Sleephubs to undertake an assessment of their team and clients. Participants will conduct an online sleep checkup and a week-long sleeping habits evaluation, before undertaking the scientifically-backed Somnify course to improve the quality of their sleep.
The move comes as Invoke Media takes a more proactive approach to the wellbeing of their team and clients, as part of their new wellness initiative. Employees already benefit from free gym memberships, and there are future plans to expand the support provided to staff and acknowledge the link between physical and mental health.
Invoke Media Director Jack Barron said:
“The health benefits of sleep can not be underestimated, both physical and mental. Employers have a legal and moral obligation to the health and wellbeing of their team, and with the direction that legislation is taking, that obligation will only increase. Sleep is however often overlooked when it comes to company wellbeing and health policies.
Sleep is crucial to our mental health, physical recovery, memory formation, productivity and overall health and wellbeing. It should be at the top of every employer’s agenda, if not out of the goodness of their heart, for the benefit of their bottom line.
Tired people make mistakes, take more days off and produce less work at a lower quality than those who are properly rested. It’s time we acknowledged sleep and the impact it can have on business, big or small”.
Economists predict that poor sleep accounts for 200,000 lost working days each year. That, combined with the negative impact on productivity, amounts to an estimated annual loss of £40bn to the UK economy, that’s around 2% of GDP.
The impact on business is clear, but the impact on individual health and wellbeing is staggering. Sleep is a biological necessity and short sleep predicts a short life according to neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker. Along with increased mortality, there is an increased risk of cancer and Alzheimer’s, negative effects on the immune system and poor mood regulation. With the World Health Organisation classing night-time shift work as a probable carcinogen, the problem is clear.
Invoke director Jack, who is currently studying for a Masters in Psychology at the University of Central Lancashire has a personal interest in the topic. He said:
“I’ve undertaken my latest masters degree with a keen interest in cognition, memory, habits, sleep and productivity. As someone that generally gets no more than 5 hours sleep a night, I know I am doing myself and my business a disservice and I’d like to lead the way locally in putting sleep and positive foundational habits at the top of the business agenda.
After visiting the Sante Group, a health, wellness and employee benefits business based in Fulwood, and seeing their attitude to wellbeing, I’ve decided to make proactive movements with my own business. I don’t just want it to stop at our team, I’m opening this up to our family of clients and I’d like to offer two spare spaces to Lancashire business owners and entrepreneurs free of charge, to hopefully help them and their businesses too”.
The course, which is fully funded by Invoke Media costs around £150 per person, leverages the knowledge and experience of an international team of sleep experts.
Participants will attend a one-hour event at Cotton Court on the 3rd of March, where they will be briefed by Sleephubs founder Charlie Oulton. They will then track their sleep habits for a week, before submitting their results and receiving an online consultation with the Sleephubs experts. Finally, they will undertake a bespoke course over a number of weeks, which experiences success rates of over 80%.
If you would like to apply for one of the two places, you must be a Lancashire based business or entrepreneur and be available to attend the event on the afternoon of 3rd March.
