Most Americans just don't get enough sleep, except for those more rapidly approaching The Big Sleep. And that general lack of good rest could be the cause of such work-related problems as lack of productivity and an inability to get along with others.
A Gallup survey indicates that just over four in 10 U.S. adults don't get at least seven hours of sleep a night, the recommended minimal number. By age category, those 65 and over report the best record of rest: 66 percent sleep for between seven and 10-plus hours a night.
But let's face it, that's not the heart of anyone's workforce. So let's take a look at the percentage of the other age brackets who said they stayed tucked in at night for at least seven hours:
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18-29: 59 percent
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30-44: 55 percent
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45-64: 57 percent
Gallup has developed what it calls its well-being index, an attempt to gauge people's sense of well-being based on a series of factors, including diet, exercise, and rest.
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When it comes to sleep, there's a strong correlation between number of hours and the well-being score. But the differences by age bracket are so slight as to be almost statistically meaningless. Trailing in almost all well-being categories is the middle-range age group, 30-44.
According to this survey, then, it's the heart of the business batting order — ages 30-44 — that gets the least amount of recommended rest and has an ever-so-slightly lower well-being score.
Yet what the survey would seem to suggest on a higher level is that the much-ballyhooed generational differences are more incremental than monumental. As Gallup points out, this lack of proper rest is a more general phenomenon, and employers could therefore take steps to address it without having to create individual pitches for the various age groups.
"Not getting enough sleep is not only linked to lower well-being for individuals, but it is also costly to the U.S. economy," Gallup said. "Employees may not have enough time to sleep because of working long hours, family obligations, insomnia or having poor well-being in other areas. For example, poor physical well-being, social isolation or financial strain could adversely affect quantity of sleep."
"Employers can explore interventions to promote the value of sleep and its link to employees' well-being, as it relates to engagement, health care costs and productivity. When possible, they may want to allow employees to work flexible hours, which could make it easier for workers to balance work and family demands with getting enough sleep."
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Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
