Tired of Work or Working Tired?
As Americans, we are used to a fast-paced life with too much to do and too little time. We have come to accept a certain level of tiredness and ignore its strain on our lives. After all, we’ll sleep when we’re dead, right? Without adequate sleep, that day may come too soon!
The body functions best at a rhythm of activity and rest, and regularly depriving it of the rest it needs has been shown to decrease lifespan. As a workforce and as employers, it is important to understand the repercussions of fatigue on health, and if that doesn’t get your attention…on the bottom line!
Normal Sleep
One of the important health benefits of sleep is its restorative power on the body. During sleep, cells and tissues repair, muscles grow, and new proteins are generated. In fact, these processes occur almost exclusively during sleep. In addition, sleep helps keep other functions regular: hormones stay balanced, stress responses are improved, metabolism and appetite are more controlled. When the body is working properly, cognitive abilities are also improved, and disorders like depression and anxiety are lessened.
For adults, a “good night’s sleep” generally means seven to nine hours of sleep each night. While there may be days of sleepiness, true fatigue is an overall tiredness, loss of energy, and increased effort needed to complete routine tasks. It is considered a physical impairment, and it can happen with continual nights of too little sleep. In the U.S., forty-three percent of workers report experiencing this state of fatigue.
Irregular Sleep
A fatigued person is more at risk for certain kinds of health problems. The immune system becomes weakened because during sleep is when protective substances are created that help fight viruses and bacteria, so you are more likely to contract cold and flu. Fatigue also increases recovery time, so when you do get sick, you will stay sick longer. Your digestive and respiratory systems are also affected. Over time, fatigue can actually affect your ability to sleep deeply by lowering the quality of your breathing and creating a destructive cycle of chronic sleeplessness.
Sleep also helps produce hormones that tell your body it is full or hungry, so weight gain is a common side effect of fatigue. For employers, your employees’ fatigue is of great concern because of its effect on job performance. Memory issues and mood changes are a couple of ways an employee can make the workplace increasingly stressful. The biggest concerns for employers and employees, though, is the decrease in ability to think and concentrate and the increased likelihood of accidents. Research shows that losing two hours of sleep causes similar impairment to having three beers, and staying up for more than twenty hours is the equivalent of being legally drunk.
Counting the Costs
There is no doubt that fatigue carries with it serious consequences for one’s health and for the workplace. In fact, statistically employers lose between $1,200-$3,100 annually per employee due to fatigue. U.S. companies lose $100 billion more per year due to fatigue-related productivity loss than workers who are not fatigued. While absenteeism is a factor, the bulk of that—roughly eighty-four percent—is from on-the-job productivity loss. The type of workers most at risk for fatigue are those on night shifts or rotating shifts where their bodies have a harder time adapting to a new sleep pattern. People who work physically-exerting jobs are more likely to cause workplace accidents and experience injuries due to fatigue.
Additionally, workplace stress, shift work, unrealistic workload, boredom, and burnout can all contribute to fatigue. It is important that employers develop practices and programs to reduce the level of fatigue and improve the health of their workforce, if not for the employees, to reduce their costs. Promoting a work-life balance and making information readily available on the effects of being over tired at work are a couple of ways employers can reduce the rate of fatigue and lost productivity as a result. It may also be helpful to encourage and incentivize regular check-ups in order to prevent long-term fatigue in workers.
TrustCare Express is available to meet with and evaluate the overall person and help determine if sleeplessness is causing problems in the body or in life. If you are an employer wanting to refer employees, or if you have questions about your general health and how lack of sleep may be affecting you, make an appointment with us today. We have many convenient locations, and walk-ins are welcome!