A lack of sleep can be costly for individuals and the economy alike, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In addition to the dangers of drowsy driving, getting fewer than seven hours of sleep per day has been linked to a host of health conditions, including:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Obesity
The CDC also notes that U.S. workers’ insufficient sleep costs the economy an estimated $411 billion annually — equivalent to 2.28 percent of the country’s gross domestic product. Among U.S. workers, 1.2 million working days are lost annually due to sleep deprivation.
Work seems to be part of the problem, as multiple work-related factors impact the quantity and quality of our sleep. They include:
- Job stress
- Work hours
- Shift work
- Physically demanding work
New data released by the CDC show which occupations have it the worst. Insufficient sleep is most common among the following 10 types of workers:
- Communications equipment operators: 58.2 percent of currently employed adults get fewer than seven hours of sleep per day
- Miscellaneous transportation workers: 54 percent
- Rail transportation workers: 52.7 percent
- Printing workers: 50.9 percent
- Plant and system operators: 49.6 percent
- Supervisors, food preparation and serving workers: 48.9 percent
- Supervisors, production workers: 48.9 percent
- Entertainment attendants and related workers: 48.2 percent
- Firefighting and prevention workers: 45.8 percent
- Miscellaneous production occupations: 45.6 percent
Are you having trouble sleeping? If you begin to toss and turn, don’t fight your insomnia. As we write:
Insomniacs shouldn’t stay in bed when they’re not sleeping. By getting out of bed, you avoid making a connection in the mind between the bed and sleeplessness.
In fact, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends getting out of bed if you do not fall asleep within 20 minutes of turning in for the night.
For more tips, check out “17 Affordable Tips to Help You Sleep Like a Baby.”
Do you have tips for falling asleep? Share your thoughts below or on Facebook.
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