Sleeping on the job

by Dion Klein, Canberra Times

The average hours worked by full-time employees in Australia have increased since the late 1970s; today's eight-hour day/38-hour work week seems to be a myth. After work, many employees go home and spend another 4-6 hours tending children, parents, and, if lucky, personal interests before flopping into bed ''dead''. Society has created ''sleep-deprived workaholics'', according to the National Sleep Foundation.

Lack of sleep resulting in exhaustion is one of the most serious health- related problems in the workplace. It has also been shown that sleep deprivation is a major cause of under- productivity, absenteeism and workplace accidents. According to the National Sleep Foundation sleep deprivation and sleep disorders are estimated to cost Americans over $100 billion annually in lost productivity, medical expenses, sick leave, and property and environmental damage.

Fatigue costs Australian businesses $1-3 billion a year in industrial accidents (not including lost productivity from tired workers). The NSF's 2000 Sleep in America omnibus poll found that 51 per cent of the American workforce reported that sleepiness on the job interfered with the amount of work they got done. One out of four adults had difficulty getting up for work two or more days per week, and 27 per cent said they were sleepy at work two or more days a week. Tired employees can experience more difficulty in concentrating on what they are doing, listening to what others are saying, solving problems on the job, making decisions and relating to their co-workers.

Staying awake for 24 hours can lead to reduced eye-hand coordination, which is similar to having a blood- alcohol content level of 0.1 per cent. In the medical field, research has repeatedly demonstrated that doctors working 24-hour shifts, 80-hour working weeks and deprived of sleep have reaction times worse than people with blood-alcohol levels over .05 per cent.

The physical effects of sleep loss on the individual are also rapid and serious. Chronic sleep loss may speed the onset or increase the severity of age-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and memory loss (Wharton, 2003). Backaches and joint pain are the most common pain symptom accompanying sleeplessness. Though individual sleep requirements vary depending on age, physical activity levels, and general health, sleep experts recommend at least eight hours' sleep a night in order to function properly. The NSF found that 33 per cent of American adults slept only 6.5 hours or less nightly during the work week. Use your own state of alertness as a guide; if you feel tired during the day, you probably need more sleep. Unfortunately sleep is viewed as expendable and something you can catch up on any time. A person cannot catch up on sleep just as one cannot make up for lost time. All people are doing is increasing their sleep debt that puts them further behind as they try to keep up with life's demands (NSF, 2000).

Why are people getting less sleep today than many years ago? Television and the Internet are prime contributors, with adults staying up later than they should. Work pressures have also increased, many employees taking work home and putting in unaccounted overtime (especially at management level). Regardless of the number of hours worked each week, the NSF found that Americans short-changed themselves by rising earlier, rather than going to bed earlier: 31 per cent of adults who worked more than 60 hours a week were up by 5 am.

Stress is a major cause of short-term sleeping difficulties; therefore, employees who may appear under a lot of stress (either personal or work- related) may be vulnerable to sleep deprivation. Lifestyle stressors (e.g., drinking alcohol or caffeine, irregular sleep patterns, certain medications, etc) also contribute to a poor night's sleep. About 25 per cent of Australian workers do shift work in many industries. They have a tendency to suffer from sleep disruption; night- shift workers have difficulties with sleeping during daylight hours, and report feelings of fatigue during night work.

Other causes of sleep deprivation include illness, personal choice, sleep disorders, medications, and newborn children in the household. Sleeping patterns also play an important part in one's mental and emotional wellbeing. Some people don't realise that the body needs adequate sleep or how much they need. People who experience sleep deprivation have said it affects their overall health, their work life, their ability to pursue personal interests, and their relationships with family and friends. All these situations impinging on the employee will inevitably affect the organisation's overall wellbeing.

Few managers or workers understand the natural cycle of sleepiness and alertness or how to reduce sleep- related accidents and errors. Some symptoms that a sleep-deprived employee may experience include constant yawning, a tendency to doze off at meetings or at the workstation, grogginess when waking in the morning, poor concentration and mood changes.

Workplace wellness programs should offer educational seminars on sleep and relaxation techniques. Some innovative workplaces are having dedicated ''sleeping'' or ''napping'' rooms for employees. Studies that show naps can restore short-term alertness and enhance both concentration and memory, yet only 16 per cent of American adults report that their employers endorse on-the-job naps. Of course, this might be difficult to justify, since many workplaces still have a challenge justifying the expense and outcomes of wellness programs, on-site massage and fitness programs. Until managers and executives understand and realise that sleep deprivation is not only financially costly but affecting the organisation's wellbeing, the workplace will be susceptible to increased injury and decreased productivity of its employees.

Resources

Avoiding Drowsy Driving

Countermeasures

Responsibility and the Drowsy Driver

Signs of Drowsiness when Driving

How Well Are You Sleeping? - FDA Consumer Article

Circadian gene helps brain predict mealtime

Sleep less, live longer? - Increased Death Rate Associated
With Sleeping 8 Hours or More

Circadan Rythyms

"And miles to go before I sleep"

(Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening)