Forbes interviews Sigurjon Kristjansson, the CEO of Nox Health, a global sleep health company.
According to Kristjansson, estimates indicate that sleep problems affect as many as 45 percent of the U.S. population on a nightly basis, and poor sleep costs American companies hundreds of billions each year.
“Sleep disorders are linked with high-cost conditions like obesity, hypertension, heart disease, stroke and depression, to name a few,” Kristjansson said. “In the U.S., one in four people suffers from sleep apnea, which is just one of more than 80 recognized sleep disorders. Sleep apnea and its associated conditions cost businesses an estimated $165 billion per year in healthcare spend—but the safety and productivity losses cost even more. Research estimates a loss of $320 billion in accidents, lost productivity and absenteeism on an annual basis.”
So where does the pandemic fit into all of this?
As we return to the workplace, most CEOs have three things on their mind: supporting the health of their employees as the pandemic threat persists, increasing productivity with—for some—a leaner staff, and cutting costs to weather the economic downturn. Kristjansson says sleep addresses all three.
