The economic costs of insufficient sleep

The Intellectual Forum and ThinkLab's Sleep Week concluded on 12 March with a talk on the economic costs of insufficient sleep by RAND Europe Research Leader Michael Whitmore.

RAND Europe research calculates the economic impact of insufficient sleep and shows that small gains in personal sleep reap great benefits both individually and across the economy. Michael Whitmore's talk explores how organisations, society and individuals alike will benefit from a good night’s sleep. He spotlights the monetary economic impact of insufficient sleep and the key drivers of poor sleep and asks: How can we mitigate the risk of a poor night’s sleep?

More about the speaker:

Michael Whitmore is a research leader at RAND Europe, developing initiatives and research into health, work and wellbeing. His career spans more than 30 years across health and social care with the last 12 dedicated to health and work. He has held roles that include programme director to Dame Carol Black's UK cross-government health and work team, developing fit for work services, as well as international product director of Wellbeing for Optum, part of the UnitedHealth Group. He also led the logistics set-up of the NHS COVID-19 national vaccination programme as well as global digital wellbeing platforms, population health projects in inter-systemic behaviour change, delayed transfers of care and health and social care integration as well as development of a national mental health wellbeing programme to the UK construction industry.

Whitmore has an MBA with distinction from Cass Business School, an International Leadership Certificate from London Business School, an MA in applied social science and social work from Durham University, a degree in psychology and law from Keele University and is a practicing CBT therapist.