Lack of sleep for critical workers increasing

More than one-third of working Americans don’t get enough sleep, and the problem is greatest among the police, the military, health care workers and truckers, researchers report.

Their analysis of data from more than 150,000 employed adults between 2010 and 2018 also found that the rate of inadequate sleep (seven hours or less) rose from about 31 percent to nearly 36 percent during that time.

“Inadequate sleep is associated with mild to severe physical and mental health problems, injury, loss of productivity, and premature mortality,” said one of the researchers at Ball State University in Indiana.

The lack of sleep in these professions impacts others, he said. “We all suffer when our bus and truck drivers, doctors, and nurses are sleep deprived.”

The lack of sleep has many causes, including changes in the workplace, Americans working longer hours, workplace stress, and the use of technology and electronic devices at night.

Source: HealthDay News