5 Ways Better Sleep Can Make Us Better BCBAs

We all have those days where getting enough sleep just isn’t the priority. Maybe it’s a late night concert with friends or getting up early for a flight. That’s completely normal.

But when not getting enough sleep starts to become the norm instead of the exception, it can begin to impact our work as BCBAs in a big way.

In today’s blog, we’ll walk through 5 ways that a chronic lack of sleep might be holding us back from being the best BCBAs we can be, along with a simple values statement for each one to help us start prioritizing our own rest.

1. Missed Work Time

Studies have shown that poor sleep can negatively affect the immune system, putting people at higher risk for things like upper respiratory infections. Those who are sleeping poorly also have a higher risk of migraines, car accidents, and workplace injuries.

All of this makes it more likely that BCBAs who aren’t getting enough sleep will miss work or show up feeling less than their best.

Values statement: “I value showing up for my clients as much as possible, so I’m going to prioritize my own sleep tonight.”

2. Clinical Burnout

Studies have shown that sleep problems are often a precursor to clinical burnout, and can be identified even earlier than another common warning sign, low back pain.

While this hasn’t been definitively proven, some researchers suggest that improving sleep quality could also be an effective intervention for reducing clinical burnout.

In a field where so many clinicians are facing burnout, this is something that we can’t ignore.

Values statement: “I value staying in this field long term, and prioritizing sleep will help me prevent burnout.”

3. Cognition and Decision Making

Another impact of poor sleep is on our ability to think clearly. Studies have shown that when we’re not getting enough sleep, we’re more likely to have slower reaction times, less effective decision making, and impaired memory. Poor sleep has also been associated with making critical mistakes in the workplace.

In the fast-paced, high-stakes environments that BCBAs work in, it’s crucial that our brains are operating at their best. Reacting too slowly or making a poor decision could lead to unsafe situations or someone getting hurt.

Values statement: “I value making thoughtful, effective treatment decisions, and prioritizing my sleep helps me think clearly.”

4. Mood and Emotional Regulation

Chronic sleep deprivation also has a significant impact on mood. Studies have shown that people of all ages who are not well rested are at increased risk of depression, irritability, moodiness, and low frustration tolerance. Working adults, in particular, are more likely to experience increased tension, nervousness, and irritability.

In a job that already requires us to handle challenging situations and work closely with others, feeling more tense and irritable can make daily challenges feel even harder and make collaboration more difficult.

Values statement: “I value strong, positive relationships, and prioritizing my sleep helps me stay calm and present.”

5. Modeling Healthy Habits

As BCBAs, we spend a lot of time coaching others on behavior change. But it’s hard to support families in building healthy routines if we’re running on empty ourselves.

When we prioritize our own sleep, we’re not just helping ourselves. We’re modeling what it looks like to take care of basic needs, which is something families can learn from too.

Values statement: “I value practicing what I teach, and prioritizing sleep helps me show up as the kind of provider I want to be.”

Final Thoughts

Sleep directly impacts how we show up in our work, how we think, how we feel, and how we support the people around us.

The goal isn’t to be perfect. There will always be nights where sleep isn’t ideal. But when we start to consistently prioritize rest, even in small ways, it can create a ripple effect across our entire day.

As BCBAs, taking care of our own sleep isn’t just self-care. It’s part of being able to do our jobs well.

Chattu VK, Manzar MD, Kumary S, Burman D, Spence DW, Pandi-Perumal SR. The Global Problem of Insufficient Sleep and Its Serious Public Health Implications. Healthcare (Basel). 2018 Dec 20;7(1):1. doi: 10.3390/healthcare7010001. PMID: 30577441; PMCID: PMC6473877.