WEARY WORKERS ARE SLEEP DEPRIVED

Money worries are causing sleep deprivation in UK workers, according to a new survey. Twenty two million (75%) of workers admitted getting less than the prescribed eight hours of sleep each night of the working week. Estate Agents are suffering the most, only getting five hours and 50 minutes sleep a night – more than two hours less than the daily recommended quota.

The stress of plummeting house prices and a drop in the number of buyers, is taking its toll, with industry experts predicting more than 15,000 estate agents could lose their jobs over the next two years. The Travelodge study of over 4,000 British workers revealed lorry and taxi drivers – were the next two sectors missing out on ‘shut eye’ sharing an average of just six hours and 16 minutes a night.

Weary bankers manage just six hours and 23 minutes of sleep, with the Credit Crunch taking its toll on the UK economy. Builders and accountants complete the top five, both only getting six hours and 24 minutes of sleep.

The research also identified more than a third (38%) of the UK workforce claims they just can’t switch off from work at any time. For 23% of workers, their first thought of the day will be about their job and 32% of employees will drift off to sleep thinking of work. A staggering 78% of respondents said they would love to get more sleep if they had the time and half of workers will take time off work or spend their weekend catching up on sleep. Media and marketing are the best professions to be in for some beauty sleep, getting more than seven hours a night.

TOP FIVE REASONS WORKERS CAN’T SLEEP 

1. Worrying about the pressures of work, especially within the current financial climate
2. Planning on how to make ends meet and keeping the family out of the red
3. Leaving work late, resulting in eating late and going to bed late
4. Having an alcoholic drink at late at night to help them unwind
5. Coming home and start working again – late into the night, in order to catch up on a heavy work load.

Leigh McCarron, Travelodge’s director of Sleep, said: ”It’s no surprise that professions in the industry’s worst hit by the credit crunch come top of the charts. We all know that money worries and job security are key drivers of stress which in turn, leads to significant sleep loss.

”Don’t let the credit crunch keep you awake, it’s a vicious circle. Although you may fret about your job and have financial worries; you cannot afford to sacrifice your sleep quota. Losing valuable hours of sleep will certainly impact upon your well being and productivity.”

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