The cost of poor sleep

The cost of poor sleep

More than a third of UK adults don’t believe they get enough good quality sleep on most nights, according to a study by Canada Life. 16% said poor sleep was making it difficult to maintain their physical and mental health. And as a consequence, 11% of sick days were the direct result of poor sleep.

On average, people were found to get just 6 hours and 12 minutes of sleep a night (compared with the recommended 7 to 9 hours). 63% felt like they needed to take a nap during the working day.

Calculations point to 15% having taken an average of three days off work in the past year because of a lack of sleep, which would translate to a total of 14.4 million sick days in a year across the whole workforce. A RAND Europe study has suggested that poor sleep in the UK’s working population costs the economy around £34 billion a year.

Keeping us up

In the Canada Life study, 21% of people pointed to physical conditions as the cause of their limited sleep; 17% to poor mental health. Around a quarter said they stayed up too late, and 14% blamed having their mobile phone or other devices in the bedroom.

Among people who have actively tried to deal with problems sleeping: 45% have taken sleeping pills or other forms of medication, 36% have spoken to their NHS doctor, 32% have tried meditation or mindfulness, 29% have used alternative or herbal medicine and 23% have made use of an app.

Proactive EAPs

EAPA UK Chair, Karl Bennett said: “Sleep is like a barometer of our overall health. When we’re in decent shape physically and have a sense of balance in our minds, then sleep comes naturally — working as an essential part of a healthy cycle for our days. Disturbed sleep is not just a cause of ill-health but a symptom.

“Rather than relying on medication to force sleep, it’s important for employees to be able to get themselves back into that natural cycle, and that means dealing with underlying issues that cause us to be restless psychologically: because of problems at work, with relationships, with finances — knowing that they can get professionals advice and the support of counsellors when they need it. EAPs provide that practical release valve.”