The study by independent job board CV-Library explored the attitudes of 1,300 workers around the topic of sleep and the workplace and was conducted with input from Sleep Neuroscientist Professor Jim Horne .
The research revealed that 69.7% workers in the manufacturing sector cite workplace stress as a key cause of their disrupted sleep, with a further 86.4% admitting that a stress-related disrupted sleep negatively affects their emotions.
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library (pictured), said: “There are many factors that can affect your performance at work and I’m sure we’re all familiar with the negative feelings that can follow a bad night’s sleep. While this is manageable every now and again, it can quickly become all-consuming if not dealt with properly and it’s concerning to learn that many workers aren’t sleeping well because of workplace stress.
“If you’re suffering particularly badly, it could be worth talking to your employer to see if there’s anything that can be done to make the working day that little bit easier for you. For example, being able to work from home if you’re not feeling 100%, or taking an earlier lunch break if you’re in desperate need of some fresh air, are just small steps that can make a big difference.”
What’s more, while the majority of workers in the sector (52.2%) would like to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, only 26.1% currently achieve this, with most people (60.9%) actually receiving 5-7 hours.
The research also found that sleep deprivation is most likely to affect an employee in the manufacturing industry’s ability to stay focused (67.4%) as well as their ability to complete their tasks (48.8%) and deal with challenging situations (39.5%).
Professor Jim Horne added: “Most work situations require individuals to make critical decisions, remain focussed and complete tasks within a timely and efficient manner. However, it’s clear from these findings that sleep loss can impair attention to detail amongst workers. The longer a person is awake, the more likely their mood is to be negatively affected, as well as their willingness to take risks in the workplace. Again, this could be cause for concern.”
