Dozing Off at the Office
New Survey Uncovers a Sleepy Work Force

In the wake of on-the-job accidents and studies linking sleep deprivation to workplace inefficiency, the Better Sleep Council sponsored a survey of 1,000 adults to see what workers had to say for themselves. Overall, most everyone could use a good night's sleep.

ALEXANDRIA, VA (March 1, 1994) – Feeling tired and sleepy at work is a bigger problem than most people realize. In a new survey of 1,000 adults conducted by Bruskin/Goldring Research for the Better Sleep Council (BSC), one in three respondents reported sleeplessness affects their work. And twice as many men as women confessed to dozing at their desks on company time. The experts say the reason we're sleepy isn't that we're bored or tired of our jobs. We're just plain tired.

Losing Sleep Turns Into Greater Losses

The costly consequences of transportation or construction workers falling asleep on the job are easy to imagine – and well documented. The direct cost of sleepiness to industry has been estimated to be at least $15 billion a year in the U.S.; other figures go as high as $50 billion. The perils of poor decision-making, sleep-related accidents and lost productivity are enough to jolt office workers and their employers wide awake.

Sleeplessness impairs the ability to make good judgments on the job. Without sleep, our senses dull. Productivity decreases. Mistakes and accidents increase. According to findings from a two-year study by the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, 40 million Americans have trouble sleeping. The result is a work force that is severely sleep-deprived and dangerously sleepy every day.

Fatigue is one of the most frequently cited probable causes of on-the-job accidents. The transportation industry was one of the first to recognize the issue. Airline Pilots Association Human Performance Specialist Bill Edmunds says, "The airline industry is a 24-hour-a-day industry with irregular and long working hours. Fatigue can impair performance. Consequently, most airlines have even more stringent flight and rest requirements than those established by government regulations."

Creating a good sleep environment involves more than the bed you sleep on. The room's temperature, amount of light, noise and partners' sleep styles are also factors. Experts recommend a cooler room, 65 degrees Fahrenheit or so, for better sleep. And fresh air is essential. Lower light helps too. Just as light cues our bodies to wake up, darkness cues us to sleep. Women, especially, are sensitive to noise – muffling sounds can decrease sleep distractions. And couples whose sleep habits keep one another awake need to compromise. If one is cold and the other is hot, an electric blanket with separate settings may be the answer. Partners competing for space should consider getting a bigger bed.

As for feeling drained during the day, Dr. Reese prescribes taking mini-breaks. "Mini-breaks help to rejuvenate and maintain a level of productivity," he says.

The National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research reports that people don't realize the seriousness of sleep-related problems. Most workers just assume that feeling tired on the job is normal and unavoidable. And until workers – and employers – recognize the important link between feeling rested and job performance, productivity will suffer. Bottom-line, whether you're an employee or employer, better days at the office depend on how good your nights are.

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The Better Sleep Council, a non-profit organization supported by the mattress industry, is devoted to educating the public about the importance of sleep to good health and quality of life, and about the value of the sleep system and sleep environment in pursuit of a good night's sleep.

Free publication available: The Better Sleep Council publishes the Better Sleep Guide, a 16-page color brochure about the connection between sleep and health, how to assess the condition of your mattress, and guidelines for shopping for a new sleep set. The brochure is available by sending your request to: Guide, P.O. Box 19534, Alexandria, VA 22320-0534; in Canada: Guide, Downsview CSC, P.O. Box 430, Downsview, Ontario, M3M 3A8

Workers' Fatigue Facts and Stats
Work and Home Life Demands Squeeze Out Sleep

In addition to the workplace survey, the Better Sleep Council (BSC) dug deeper for more data and interviewed the experts. Here's what BSC turned up:

According to …

• The National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research, lack of awareness throughout the country about the nature and impact of sleep disorders and sleep deprivation is a national emergency.

• Robin Hardman, Director of Information Services, Families and Work Institute: "People are struggling to balance work and home responsibilities and, as a result, some are bound to lose out on sleep."

• Dr. Chuck Reese, Managing Director, Laborers and Health and Safety Fund of North America: "There is a very definite relationship between fatigue and the ability to do one's job. The most productive workers are those who are well-rested."

• Bill Edmunds, Human Performance Specialist, Airline Pilots Association: "Fatigue is definitely a workplace issue for the airline industry."

Surveys & Studies

Recent research from the Families and Work Institute:

• On average, women work 38.6 hours per week and spend 3.1 hours commuting. On average, men work 44.8 hours per week and spend 4.1 hours commuting.

• At home, employed women are still responsible for doing most of the chores: Cooking (81 percent), cleaning (78 percent), bill paying (63 percent) and shopping (86 percent).

• Almost half (47 percent) of America's workers have dependent care responsibilities such as a child under 18 or a disabled or elderly adult waiting for them at home (87 percent live with family members).

• Seventy-five percent of the work force report feeling "used up at the end of the workday" sometimes to very often.

Findings from Wake Up America, A National Sleep Alert, a report published by the National Commission on Sleep Disorders Research (1993):

• The quality and quantity of sleep Americans get are substantially less than the quality and quantity needed.

• Over the past century, people have reduced their average nightly sleep time by more than 20 percent.

• Americans are severely sleep deprived and, therefore, dangerously sleepy during the day.

• In 1990, the direct costs of sleepiness in the U.S. were at least $15.8 billion. (According to the American Sleep Disorders Association, accidents and loss of productivity due to sleep deprivation cost the country $50 billion a year.)

• Approximately 40 million (20 percent) Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders and wakefulness.

According to the Economic Policy Institute (1992):

• Americans have added approximately 158 hours – almost an extra month – to their annual work/commute time since 1969.

• Paid time off – vacations, holidays, sick leave and personal days – fell roughly 15 percent in the 1980s.

• Compared to 1969, today's young parents (ages 18-39) are putting in far more hours of work – up 241 more hours per year for mothers, 189 hours more per year for fathers.

Background Data

• Research has shown that excessive sleepiness is always accompanied by impairment in performance that can lead to human error.

• Studies of the workplace and the transportation industry have found that 90 percent of accidents are caused by human error.

• The most frequently cited probable cause of mass transportation accidents is fatigue – accounting for one third of all fatal-to-the-driver heavy trucking accidents.

• The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) cited fatigue as one of the primary causes of the grounding of the Exxon Valdez.

We're Not Bored Or Lazy – We're Just Tired
Workers Feel Drowsy During the Workday

In the wake of on-the-job accidents and studies linking sleep deprivation to workplace inefficiency, the Better Sleep Council (BSC) sponsored a survey of 1,000 adults to see what workers had to say for themselves. Overall, most everyone could use a good night's sleep.

One in three adults say their work has been affected by feeling drowsy during the workday. Who is sleepiest? Those between the ages of 18 and 49 – the group most likely to be dealing with demands at work and dependents at home.

Some workers succumb to sleep at the office. Men are twice as likely to nod off as women. Those making over $20,000 annually and those between the ages 18-24 and 35-49 are desk dozers.

One in five adults say they've shown up to work late or not at all because they slept poorly the night before. Young workers ages 18-24 are guiltiest of staying in bed.

More men than women say they're feeling the effects of working longer hours. Those earning over $30,000 a year are putting the most time in at the office.

One in three survey respondents wake up feeling tired. Whether they need more rest or just better quality sleep, younger workers, ages 18-34, feel the groggiest in the mornings.

The Better Sleep Council workplace survey of 1,000 adults was conducted in January 1994 by Bruskin/Goldring Research. The sampling error is + three percent.

The Work Force Has Trouble Staying Awake
Twice as Many Men as Women Doze Off on Company Time

From a 1994 survey of 1,000 adults by Bruskin/Goldring Research for the Better Sleep Council.

Spending More Hours at Work Means Sacrificed Sleep
Forty-one Percent of America's Workers Say Long Hours Keep Them From Getting Enough Sleep

From a 1994 survey of 1,000 adults by Bruskin/Goldring Research for the Better Sleep Council.