3 in 10 workers suffer from lack of sleep
By Stephanie Armour
USA Today
U.S. workers are silently suffering from a dramatic lack of sleep, costing companies billions of dollars in lost productivity, said a study out today.
Nearly three in 10 workers have become very sleepy or even fallen asleep at work in the past month, according to a first-ever study on sleep and the workplace by the nonprofit National Sleep Foundation. The late-2007 survey was based on a random sample of 1,000 workers.
"It's a very expensive issue for employers, and it can be fatal, too," says Nilesh Dave, medical director of the Sleep and Breathing Disorders Center at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. "The 24/7 global economy means work is now around the clock."
About 70 million Americans have a problem sleeping, according to the NSF. Some employers, such as Union Pacific railroad, are so concerned that they're now allowing workers to nap on the job. Employees also say it's a significant issue, causing them to drive drowsy or even fall asleep at their desks.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether the pilots were sleeping on a go! airlines flight from Honolulu to Hilo on Feb. 13. The plane drifted off course and had to turn back to get to the Hilo airport, where it landed safely. Air traffic controllers tracking the plane were unable to contact the cockpit for 25 minutes.
Ursula Forhan, 53, of Chicago, used to fall asleep at her desk. She was treated for sleep apnea and said she has no problems today.
"I would take a nap on the floor of my office, and my boss was so tolerant he would step over me," said Forhan, a paralegal in Chicago. She used to drive for work and had to roll down the windows to stay awake.
Among the survey's findings:
Several factors are driving the trend toward sleepier employees. Employees are putting in longer hours, in part because of increased pressure from employers to ramp up productivity. The study found that one-fourth of respondents had a workday that lasted between eight and nine hours, and another fourth said they worked up to 10 hours a day.
Technology, which is supposed to enhance productivity, has also required employees to be available. "You're not disconnecting except when you hit the pillow," said Mark Rosekind, a consultant who worked on the survey.
