Stress at work, but also a sedentary lifestyle and irregular schedules, largely compromise the quality of sleep and long-term health of employees, according to new studies.
- Stress at work causes persistent sleep problems: difficulty falling asleep, waking up at night or early, feeling tired, etc.
- A sedentary lifestyle at work increases symptoms of insomnia, while irregular schedules lead to a need for “catch-up sleep”, which disrupts circadian rhythms.
- Experts recommend promoting autonomy, integrating physical activity at work and stabilizing schedules to improve the quality of sleep and the well-being of employees.
Omnipresent in many environments, stress, a sedentary lifestyle and irregular hours at work constitute a formidable combination for sleep. Which is not without consequences on the overall health and productivity of employees. Two new studies, carried out by American universities, shed light on these risks and underline the need for targeted actions.
Stress at work, the insidious enemy of sleep
According to research published in theAmerican Journal of Industrial Medicineworkers aged 51 on average who complained of high stress at work had more sleep problems over a nine-year period. On the menu, according to press release : difficulty falling asleep, repeated nocturnal awakenings, early awakenings and a feeling of fatigue despite sufficient sleep time.
To measure this stress at work, the team of researchers used the “Karasek model”, a tool which allows for the assessment of professional tensions. All indicators show a significant association between long-term stress and the occurrence of sleep disorders. Faced with this observation, experts are calling for interventions in the workplace, such as better employee autonomy or a balanced distribution of workloads.
The effects of sedentary work and irregular hours
Likewise, a sedentary lifestyle at work, which affects nearly 80% of modern employees, increases insomnia symptoms by 37%, according to the second study published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. Sedentary workers report difficulty falling asleep, frequent sleep interruptions and persistent fatigue during the day.
And for good reason, the lack of movement during the day promotes irregular sleep cycles, thus reinforcing a “insomnia spiral”can we read in a press release. To counter this phenomenon, it is recommended to integrate physical activities into the working day and to limit professional activities outside office hours.
Finally, it appears that employees with atypical schedules, such as night workers or those with jobs with variable hours, are more likely to fall into the category of “catch-up” sleepers, those who compensate for insufficient and unrefreshing sleep. by naps or lie-ins. Practices that destabilize circadian rhythms and compromise the overall quality of sleep in the long term…
However, according to the study, 66% of employees with irregular hours have an increased need for “catch-up” sleep. A proactive approach, such as establishing predictable schedules and reducing night shifts, could significantly improve their health, according to the authors.
