75% cite workplace stress as a key cause of disrupted sleep

lee-biggins

Three-quarters (75%) of respondents cite workplace stress as a key cause of their disrupted sleep, according to research by CV Library.

Its survey of 1,300 UK-based employees also found that 63% of respondents who perform night shifts are not given any advice from their employer on how to cope with night shifts or  how this will affect their sleep.

The research also found:

  • 77% of respondents admit that having a bad night’s sleep negatively impacts their working day, and 27% feel exhausted on a daily basis.
  • 73% of respondents think that sleep deprivation affects their ability to stay focused at work, 47% believe it impacts their ability to deal with challenging situations, and 34% feel that a lack of sleep affects their ability to make important decisions.
  • 93% of respondents feel that disrupted sleep due to stress negatively affects their emotions.
  • 59% of respondents would like to get between seven and eight hours of sleep a night, however, only 26% currently achieve this; 57% typically achieve five to seven hours sleep a night.
  • 34% of respondents who undertake night shifts suffer from excessive sleepiness during their working hours, with 21% of these respondents driving between five and 10 miles home after their shift.
  • 34% of respondents who work outdoors get between seven and eight hours sleep a night.

Lee Biggins (pictured), founder and managing director at CV Library, said: “There are many factors that can affect performance at work and I’m sure we’re all familiar with the negative feelings that can follow a bad night’s sleep. While this is manageable every now and again, it can quickly become all-consuming if not dealt with properly and it’s concerning to learn that many [employees] aren’t sleeping well because of workplace stress.

“If [employees] are suffering particularly badly, it could be worth [employers seeing if there is] anything that can be done to make the working day that little bit easier. For example, being able to work from home if [employees are] not feeling 100%, or taking an earlier lunch break if [employees are] in desperate need of some fresh air, are just small steps that can make a big difference.”