Sleepless nights are taking a toll on UK workers

Widespread sleepless nights are undermining workplace performance across the UK according to findings of a survey released by the Mental Health Foundation. The poll of 2000 UK adults aged 18+ found that the average person only gets three nights of good quality sleep per week.  This lack of meaningful rest has resulted in one in three UK workers (33 percent) admitting that poor sleep makes it harder to concentrate at work while more than one in five (22 percent) shared that tiredness has led them to make more mistakes than usual. One in eight respondents (13 percent) reported having fallen asleep at work.

According to the MHF, good sleep is essential for good mental health as it helps us regulate our emotions, cope with stress, and maintain focus and resilience in daily life. There are many factors which may prevent people from getting the sleep they need to function well including work-related stress or irregular hours. The survey reported one in seven respondents (13 percent) said their work has negatively affected their sleep in the past month and sleepless night are compounding the problem.

Alexa Knight, Director of Policy and Influencing at Mental Health Foundation, said: “Sleep is essential for our mental and physical health, but it’s often the first thing we sacrifice when life gets busy or stressful.  This research shows that poor sleep can be both a consequence of work-related stress and a barrier to performing well at work. Many UK adults report that their jobs are affecting their ability to get good quality sleep, while at the same time, lack of sleep is interfering with their concentration, decision-making, and wellbeing.”

The results come as the Government’s Keep Britain Working review, led by Sir Charlie Mayfield, called for stronger employer action on health and wellbeing in the workplace. The report encourages employers to take a more active role in supporting staff health, including through prevention and early intervention. The Mental Health Foundation says it is important that sleep and rest is a part of that conversation.

Alexa added: “Employers have a vital role to play in creating environments that support healthy sleep, through flexible working, manageable workloads, and open conversations about mental health. We also encourage individuals to prioritise sleep as a foundation for good mental health and seek support when stress begins to affect their rest.

“Workplaces that invest in wellbeing initiatives, including promoting healthy sleep habits, can see improvements in staff engagement, productivity, and retention. Ensuring workplaces are safe spaces to discuss mental health and wellbeing is essential.  Staff must feel comfortable to share their worries and managers should be trained to know how to best support people who are struggling. Having resources easily available to people can help too.  The Mental Health Foundation has a number of free-to-download publications including How to look after mental health at work and How to sleep better.