An article on Health.com reports that an estimated 35 percent of Americans are not getting enough sleep, which may lead to unsafe roads and an unproductive workforce.
Moreover, that rate has increased from 23 percent in 1985, and authors noted that this may be due to a changing workforce and advances in technology that have people on a 24-hour cycle of communication and information.
Workers are now putting in more hours due to a competitive employment environment, and feeling the pressure to stay connected to the office at all hours. Both of these factors may lead to stress and a lack of sleep.
“We need to start seeing sleep as a central part of health. It isn’t a luxury,” said Lela McKnight-Eily, PhD, study co-author and epidemiologist and clinical psychologist with the CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Heath Promotion, quoted by the news source.
Additionally, it was found that college-educated individuals tend to suffer more from sleep disturbances than their counterparts with high school diplomas. This may suggest that educated employees – who also tend to have more responsibilities – could be at a higher risk for the health problems, stress and lack of focus that plague tired individuals.
The National Institutes of Health reports that stress may also cause insomnia, suggesting a two-way correlation between anxiety and sleep loss.
Organizations that want to take care of staff members who work long hours and play integral roles in the company may want to consider employee wellness programs that focus on healthy sleep patterns and tout the benefits of a good night’s sleep.
