Longer Sitting Work Hours Lead to Longer Sleepless Nights

Sitting for Long Hours at Work Raises Insomnia Risk by 37%
Insomnia Also Increases the Likelihood of Depression

A study has found that people who sit for long hours at work are at a higher risk of suffering from insomnia.

On the 15th (local time), CNN reported on a new study published on the 7th in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. The study analyzed data from over 1,000 American workers over 10 years to investigate how job roles affect sleep patterns. Specifically, a research team led by Professor Claire Smith from the Department of Psychology at the University of South Florida extracted and analyzed work styles and sleep-related data of about 1,000 American workers over a decade. They compared working hours, work styles, sleep duration, and insomnia symptoms from 2004?2006 and approximately 10 years later, from 2013?2017.

A study has found that people who sit for long hours at work are at a higher risk of suffering from insomnia. On the 15th (local time), CNN reported on a new study published on the 7th in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology. Pixabay

The analysis showed that office workers who spend long hours sitting had a 37% higher risk of experiencing insomnia. Workers with irregular schedules, such as shift workers or those working at night, had a 66% increased likelihood of needing additional sleep time, such as naps. Furthermore, 90% of people suffering from insomnia had been struggling with it for over 10 years. Another study co-authored by Professor Smith found that people with insomnia have a sharply increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and depression, ranging from at least 72% to as much as 188%.

Professor Smith said, "Sleep is important for employee productivity and happiness, but our jobs are threatening sleep health. Blue-collar workers need more sleep due to demanding shift work, but white-collar workers are more likely to either sleep well or not sleep at all." However, it is realistically difficult for workers to change their work styles to sleep better.

Regarding these challenges, Professor Smith advised, "Taking short breaks or engaging in simple physical activities during work hours can help." She explained that habitually standing up and walking around the office or using stairs instead of elevators during work not only reduces fatigue at bedtime but also helps prevent musculoskeletal disorders that interfere with sleep. She also emphasized, "It is important to clearly separate work hours and rest time." If workers continue to focus on work after leaving the office, it disrupts their biological clock, lowers sleep quality, and increases the need for additional sleep time.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.