Tampa, FL — Jobs that require a lot of sitting and nontraditional work hours are “significant threats” to optimal sleep, results of a recent study show.
Researchers analyzed data from the Midlife in the United States study, which involved nearly 1,300 full-time workers. Over 10 years, participants completed two surveys that asked about sleep duration, insomnia, napping and tiredness during the day.
“Sedentary work” was linked to a 37% greater risk for insomnia symptoms, while nontraditional work hours were associated with a 66% greater need for “catch-up” sleep – defined as sleeping in on weekends or frequent naps.
“The way we are designing work poses serious, long-term threats to healthy sleep,” lead study author Claire Smith, a psychologist at the University of South Florida, said in the press release. “Healthy sleep involves more than just getting your eight hours. It’s also falling asleep easily, sleeping through the night and having a consistent sleep schedule. Companies should be aware of the specific sleep risks of their workforce to improve detection and intervention.”
The study was published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.
