The Business of Sleep

Vicki Culpin explores the science of sleep and the impact that poor sleep can have on businesses and careers.

The Business of Sleep provides practical ways of mitigating against or reducing the impact of compromised sleep in organizational environments. Margaret Thatcher may famously have been able to make do with five hours a night, but for many people that little amount of sleep can--even in the short term--have serious and damaging side-effects. Major disasters have occurred as a result of poor sleep (from the destruction of the Challenger space shuttle to nuclear meltdowns such as Chernobyl and Three Mile Island), but more prevalent effects can include health disorders, the rise of depression, and poor memory retention.

For businesses and their employees, the impact can be extremely detrimental--from the negative impact on decision-making and communication skills, to way in which the lack of sleep can stifle creativity and innovation. Drawing on both seminal and cutting-edge research, alongside interviews with notable CEOs and business influencers, The Business of Sleep explains what the research tells us about how sleep works and the impact that lack of sleep can have on your work and career.

Vicki is currently Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Ashridge Executive Education, part of Hult International Business School, having previously held positions at Dean of Faculty and Global Director of Research.

Vicki specialises in well-being research, specifically related to memory and sleep. She has spent nearly 20 years researching memory, the impact of poor memory, how to improve memory and the effects of reduced sleep with a variety of individuals including older adults, children, forensic populations and employees. More recent research and teaching interests include the relationship between sleep, well-being and derailment and the relationship between sleep and resilience in management populations.

Vicki also researches and teaches in the field of adult pedagogy, specifically in relation to learning transfer and how to make learning experiences 'sticky'.

Vicki works with a range of clients from across the world, teaching leadership development, along with sharing her research findings. Her latest book, 'The Business of Sleep' is published by Bloomsbury and is due out in March 2018.

Vicki studied Psychology at Manchester University, followed by an MPhil and PhD in Psychology from Lancaster University and an MSc in Applied Forensic Psychology from Leicester University. She is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, a Chartered Psychologist and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.