Sleep & Human Health

Fatigue, work and stress are inevitably found together in nearly all of today’s work environments. More than half of British workers claim they have experienced symptoms of fatigue or work-related burnout during the past six months, according to research by the HR consultancy Hudson. This survey of more than 1,000 people found that a third claimed to have suffered exhaustion and a quarter had lost sleep or been ill because of worry about work.

Moreover, half of the respondents said that the problem had got worse over the past five years, blaming factors such the increased pace of business life, an increasingly competitive environment and more demands being placed on fewer staff. Considered across various sectors of the economy, the data points to an environment of increased pressure and fatigue. AWAKE has considerable experience in consultation, training and risk assessment and a portfolio of blue chip clients.

Business leaders and entrepreneurs are working excessively long hours and losing sleep due to work-related stress, other research has claimed. A survey of 870 senior UK business figures by accountants Grant Thorton found that two-thirds work between nine and 11 hours a day. Around one in ten worked a six day week, with one in six saying they frequently worked at weekends. A mere four per cent worked four days or less. Work-life balance (or rather the lack of it) was an issue for 18 per cent of them.

Work-induced stress is causing workers in the UK to have sleepless nights that leave them tired and bad-tempered. A survey from a well-known hotel group suggests that three-quarters of people lose a night’s sleep a week through increased stress levels at work. It found that workers get an average of 6.5 hours a night, with many less than that . Half of people told the survey that stress and lack of sleep were affecting their mood, with over a third saying they get grumpy if they have a disturbed night’s sleep on just one day of the week.