Workers Afflicted By Sleeplessness Survey Says It Could Take Toll On Businesses

America’s workers are having trouble sleeping, and that could cost employers more than $18 billion a year in lost productivity, according to a survey released Thursday.

An estimated 47 percent of U.S. workers say they suffer from sleeplessness and night-time pain such as muscle aches, and at least 36 million Americans believe that this negatively affects their job performance, according to the survey by the Louis Harris organization.

The problem could result in absenteeism, accidents and hospitalization, eventually taking an economic toll on businesses, says the report sponsored by the McNeil Consumer Products Co., the maker of Tylenol pain reliever and sleep aid products.

“I have witnessed first-hand the problems of sleep loss and the detrimental effect it has on work,” said Louis W. Sullivan, a former U.S. health and human services secretary, who works with the National Sleep Foundation.

“Not only is it a personal health and quality of life issue for workers, but it can translate into safety and productivity problems on the job,” Sullivan said. “These problems can have dire consequences for our nations’ businesses.”

Adults reported experiencing sleeplessness an average of eight times a month, and said their concentration was significantly impaired the next day. They also said sleeplessness reduced their ability to handle stress, make decisions and solve problems.

The leading reasons cited for sleeplessness in the report were stress (34 percent) and anxiety or worrying (14 percent).

Researchers said all employed adults, from blue-collar and clerical workers to upper management, are afflicted by sleeplessness.

Sullivan said workers face stress and sleep less because of high-pressure jobs that require them to do more. With their jobs taking more time, many workers choose to sleep shorter hours in order to have more time to spend with family members or do household chores, he said.

“Those who experience persistent sleeplessness and pain should see a doctor about the best treatment,” said Gary Zammit, director of the Sleep Disorders Institute at St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York.