New research suggests that Americans aren’t getting nearly enough sleep, increasing the chances of health problems and hurting their performance at work. Industrial workers are particularly at risk.

Considering the hectic schedules and day-to-day stresses of the modern workplace, getting a good night’s rest is often easier said than done. But sleep deprivation poses serious health risks, and fatigue can negatively affect work performance or even endanger employees’ lives. A new study indicates that United States workers, particularly in the industrial sector, are especially sleep deprived, and dealing with this problem should be a priority for our workforce.

According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 30 percent of the adult workforce in the U.S., or roughly 40 million people, average less than six hours of sleep per night, well below the recommended 7-9 hours. Sleep deprivation patterns vary by industry, but manufacturing workers in particular were shown to have a significantly higher rate (34.1 percent) of short sleep duration compared to all other workers combined.

Schedules seem to play an important part in getting a good night’s rest. Forty-four percent of night-shift workers reported having short average sleep duration, with night shift workers in the transportation and warehousing industry reporting the highest rate of sleeplessness at 69.7 percent.

“In-depth examination of work hours and scheduling with respect to industry can guide employers in the design of schedules that increase the probability that workers will be able to sleep during their rest times,” the CDC advises. “For example, rotating workers forward from evening to night shifts rather than backwards from night to evening shifts makes it easier for circadian rhythms to adjust so that workers can sleep during their rest times.”

Lack of sleep can have a severe and costly effect on professional life. According to Pfizer, 50 percent of employees who feel sleep deprived perform poorly at work, 31 percent have been late to work by more than 15 minutes, 38 percent have missed important appointments and 28 percent have fallen asleep at work.

Sleep deprivation also impairs a person’s mental faculties, and considering that manufacturing workers often deal with highly complex, and sometimes dangerous, processes, ensuring they are well-rested is of critical importance. Lack of sleep can hinder or shut down the math and logic centers of the brain, memory and learning, language, creative thinking and judgment.

There are also severe health effects that result from prolonged sleeplessness. A recent study from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that severe sleep loss triggers the same physiological reactions as stress, causing changes in white blood cells that indicate an immune system response to sleeplessness.

“Future research will reveal the molecular mechanisms behind this immediate stress response and elucidate its role in the development of diseases associated with chronic sleep loss,” Katrin Ackermann, the study’s lead author, said. “If confirmed with more data, this will have implications for clinical practice and for professions associated with long-term sleep loss, such as rotating shift work.”

In addition, people who regularly sleep less than five hours a night are 2.5 times likelier to contract diabetes, have a 45 percent higher risk of heart attack and face a 12 percent higher risk of death under any circumstance, according to YourLocalSecurity.com.

For those who have difficulty falling asleep or simply acquiring enough rest to avoid performance or health problems, the National Sleep Foundation offers the following tips:

• Maintain a regular bed and wake time — including weekends;
• Set a regular, relaxing bedtime routine;
• Create a dark, quiet, comfortable and cool sleeping environment;
• Use the bedroom only for sleep and sex;
• Finish eating two to three hours prior to bedtime;
• Exercise regularly but finish the work-out three hours before bedtime; and
• Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol close to bedtime.

Credit: Medical Billing and Coding Certification