Stressed out workers sleep deprived

Apr 12 2007

According to new research the stress of work along with long working hours is affecting the sleep of many people in the work force.

In a survey by the hotel chain Travelodge, it was found that of 1,700 adults only 3% managed the recommended eight hours of sleep a night and as many as one in ten said they had taken a day off work after a bad night's sleep.

One in three workers polled said it took them two days to recover after a sleepless night, while almost half complained they felt less confident if they were tired and many said their productivity levels were affected if they only had a few hours of sleep.

Many also said lack of sleep made them feel low and depressed.

It seems Brits are spending £6.7 billion on "quick fixes" such as vitamins, energy drinks and herbal remedies to refresh themselves after sleeping badly and experts say the research highlights the extent of the sleep problem and its affect on work productivity.

Experts say aspects of modern life are affecting sleeping patterns, such as less time to fit in sleeping and the brain being asked to process far more information.

They say the survey confirms that high levels of anxiety are prevalent in modern society.

As many as a quarter of respondents said that work stress keeps them awake at night and the researchers suggest that employers should encourage workers to raise any issues they are having with sleep patterns and what is causing the problem in order improve their sleep.