It is almost chic to say you hardly have time to sleep, but that is not a good advertisement for your effectiveness.  Many of us are functioning with a huge sleep debt.  If you are a business owner or manager, it is to your advantage to have employees who get enough hours of shut-eye each night.

A 2008 study at the University of Chicago demonstrated that learning is reinforced by sleep.  Consider the differences in this group:

Morning training results:

• +8% for those who were tested immediately after
• +4% for those tested that evening
• +10% for those tested the next morning

Sleep will help restore what was forgotten at the end of the day and cement longer term learning. 

Good companies are always looking for effective training to help build employee skills.  It is the reason they have me come in to do training on time management techniques for increasing productivity.  One of those techniques needs to include ensuring adequate sleep.

Working right up until lights out is not the way to do this.  The mind is still racing and can refuse to settle down for the required rest.  Instead companies might start encouraging employees to halt all email after 8 p.m. so that both senders and recipients can have some down time.  It will pay off the next day when they are recharged and working at a productive pace.