Not only does lack of sleep deprive people of good health by causing such medical conditions as diabetes and hypertension, but insomnia in the U.S. also costs a staggering $63.2 billion in lost productivity each year. According to a new report from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the average American worker loses 11.3 days, totalling $2,280 in lost productivity annually. The full details or the report can be found in the journal Sleep.
The study findings suggest that most people who have difficulty sleeping don’t recognize the problem as being an illness requiring treatment, nor do they find being sleep deprived as a legitimate excuse for calling out of work. However, the fact is that this way of thinking could be more costly in lack of productivity to both employees and employers than opting out of work to get some much needed rest to recharge the body and the brain.
For their analysis, the researchers collected data on a nationally representative sample of 7,428 full-time workers, who were a part of the longitudinal American Insomnia Study. Participants were surveyed regarding sleep habits and work performance. Findings of the study revealed that lack of sleep significantly decreased productivity.
Lead author Ronald Kessler, Ph.D., a psychiatric epidemiologist at Harvard Medical School in Boston noted, “It’s an underappreciated problem. Americans are not missing work because of insomnia.” He added, “They are still going to their jobs but accomplishing less because they’re tired. In an information-based economy, it’s difficult to find a condition that has a greater effect on productivity.”
Just under a fourth of the those who responded to the survey (23.2 percent) were assessed to be suffering from insomnia. In addition, the study also indicated that working women had the most difficulty sleeping at 27.1 percent, while men had less problems at 19.7 percent. The least likelihood of suffering from insomnia was found among workers older than 65 years of age at 14.3 percent.
Regarding the results of the study, Kessler acknowledged, “We were shocked by the enormous impact insomnia has on the average person’s life.” He pointed out that insomnia is often overlooked due to its sporadic onset and gradual worsening over time. Although people are aware of their lack of energy, they don’t associate it with their worsening sleep patterns.
People who suffer from insomnia may experience difficulty falling asleep or nighttime waking at least three times weekly for at least 30 minutes. According to the study, about one-third of all U.S. adults experience weekly nighttime sleep issues, while an estimated 50 to 70 million complain of daytime impairment.
The average cost of treatment for insomnia is about $200 a year for a sleep aid, and about $1,200 per year for behavior modification therapy. Kessler noted that screening and treating sleep issues of employees may be well worthwhile for employers. He stated, “What really needs to happen is for employers to set up programs in their own workplaces.” He then explained that it may be cost-effective for companies to counsel workers with sleep issues, and provide medication or behavioral therapy if necessary.
Soure: HealthNews
