Sleep Deprivation Affects Majority of Workers, According to New CareerBuilder Survey

- Nearly 3 in 5 workers feel they don't get enough sleep

- 1 in 5 workers have called in sick to catch up on sleep

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Mar 10, 2016, 05:00 ET

CHICAGO, March 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- For many people, daylight savings time is less about "spring forward" and more about falling behind… their sleep schedule. And many of us can't afford to lose out on any more sleep. According to a new survey from CareerBuilder, over half of workers (58 percent) feel they don't get enough sleep, and 61 percent say lack of sleep has a negative impact on their work.

But as much as insufficient sleep affects workers' jobs, the reverse is true as well: 44 percent of workers say thinking about work keeps them up at night.

More than 3,200 workers across industries in the private sector participated in the nationwide survey, conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from November 4 and December 1, 2015.

While eight hours may be the doctor-recommended amount of sleep time each night, only 16 percent of workers say they actually reach this goal. The majority of workers (63 percent) log an average of six to seven hours of sleep each night during the workweek, while 1 in 5 (21 percent) average five hours or less.

For some workers, hitting the snooze button in attempt to doze a little bit longer just doesn't cut it. One in five workers (21 percent) has called in sick for the purpose of getting extra sleep.

Then there are those who simply try to catch up on sleep at the office: 2 in 5 workers (43 percent) have caught someone sleeping at work. Given this finding, it should come as no surprise that nearly 2 in 5 workers (39 percent) would take advantage of a designated "nap room" if offered at their place of work.

"Rest is an undervalued necessity these days," says Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder. "We see more and more workers check into the office at all hours of the day, give up vacation time and work even when they're sick. Yet it's not necessarily making us more productive, and companies are starting to recognize that. We're starting to see companies put more emphasis on employee wellness and work/life balance – whether it's providing designated 'nap rooms' for employees, encouraging them to take advantage of their vacation time or simply giving them more flexibility in their work schedules."

If You Don't Snooze, You Lose
Sleep-deprivation doesn't just hurt workers – it hurts business, too. Three in five workers (61 percent) say lack of sleep has had an impact on their work in some way, including the following:

It makes the day go by slower: 30 percent
It makes me less motivated: 27 percent
It makes me less productive: 24 percent
It affects my memory: 17 percent
It makes me crabby with co-workers: 13 percent
It takes me longer to complete tasks: 13 percent
It makes me make mistakes: 13 percent

A significant proportion of workers can't seem to escape work, even while they're sleeping. Sixty percent reported that they have dreamed about work with more than 1 in 10 (13 percent) saying it happens always or often.

14 percent have dreamed about hooking up with a co-worker.
10 percent have dreamed about telling off the boss.
10 percent have dreamed about getting in a fight with a co-worker.
9 percent have dreamed about showing up to work in pajamas or with little or no clothing on.

Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder among 3,252 employees ages 18 and over (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) between November 4 and December 1, 2015. With a pure probability sample of 3,252, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.72 percentage points.

About CareerBuilder®
As the global leader in human capital solutions, CareerBuilder specializes in cutting-edge HR software as a service to help companies with every step of the recruitment process from acquire to hire. CareerBuilder works with top employers across industries, providing job distribution, sourcing, workflow, CRM, data and analytics in one pre-hire platform. It also operates leading job sites around the world. Owned by TEGNA Inc. (NYSE:TGNA), Tribune Media (NYSE:TRCO) and The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, South America, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

Media Contact
Mary Lorenz
773.527.3613x73613
[email protected]
http://www.twitter.com/CareerBuilderPR

SOURCE CareerBuilder