Worry over retirement savings efforts could cause depression, affect health, work
Losing sleep over financial worries, employees are at risk for more than fatigue and lost productivity.
A new Bankrate survey highlights some information about worry that could be important for employers. The survey found 69 percent of respondents said they lose sleep from time to time over something they’re worried about – and money turned out to be the chief concern of 36 percent of them.
Related: 10 findings on employee financial wellness
The percentage of people who lie awake worrying varies among age groups – 77 percent of older millennials ages 28–37 were most likely to say they like awake worrying. And for 43 percent of them, the reason is money.
But they’re not the only ones: 39 percent of younger boomers ages 54–63 admit to money woes keeping them awake too.
In fact, 18 percent of all survey respondents admit to being wakeful in the wee hours worrying about saving for retirement.
Employers take note: Research has found that those losing sleep are more prone to depression and anxiety.
According to work by researchers from State University of New York and Binghamton University, reports Science News, inadequate sleep can be responsible for people being unable to shake off negative thoughts—thus opening the door to both anxiety and depression.
And with 22 percent of GenXers and 25 percent of younger boomers, according to Bankrate, saying they sometimes lose sleep because they’re worried about being able to save enough for retirement, that’s a lot of workers who could be courting a downward spiral in both mental health and work performance.
A hefty 49 percent of employees are prone to stress-related illnesses, which weighs not only on their health (and the health care cost to employers and employees alike) but also on their work performance.
On a larger scale, sleep deprivation, no matter the cause, has been estimated to cost the U.S. economy up to $411 billion dollars a year, according to the Rand Institute.
But the ultimate bottom line? It’s also been tied to a higher risk of death.
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