1 in 4 Workers Does Not Get Enough Sleep Each Night

Ladan Nikravan

Employers, beware: The switch to Daylight Saving Time may result in more yawning in the office and a potential dip in productivity. According to a new survey from CareerBuilder, 1 in 4 workers (26 percent) feel he or she does not get enough sleep each night. Ironically, nearly half of all workers (47 percent) say thinking about work keeps them up at night.

Further, only 17 percent of all workers get at least eight hours of sleep a night — which can have a negative impact on productivity, among other factors.

Sleep-deprivation doesn’t just hurt workers – it hurts the bottom line, too. For instance, 3 in 5 workers (60 percent) say lack of sleep has had an impact on their work in some way.

What Does This Mean For You?

Over the past few years, successful organizations have finally started to view sleep deprivation for what it is: a productivity killer and employee health issue. As a result, they’re actively pursuing ways to gently encourage their workers in the right direction.

Here are ways you can improve employees’ sleep quality:

Create a company program: Invite sleep experts to visit the office to counsel employees about their habits. Offer stipends for sleep treatments, as part of your wellness program. Stress-reducing treatments, such as fitness memberships and massages, can also help employees become more relaxed at work.
Control use of mobile devices at home: Using mobile devices can have detrimental effects on sleep quality. Instead of letting employees bring their company-owned mobile devices home, consider limiting its use to the office only.
Create brighter workspaces: Natural lighting helps employees sleep better at night, therefore making them more productive during the day.