Your work habits may be threatening your sleep, USF research shows

Sedentary employees and those working nontraditional hours are more prone to sleep issues

University of South Florida

 

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University of South Florida scholar Claire Smith presents her research findings at the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology conference in 2023.

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Credit: Mia Nguyen

TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 7, 2025) – People whose jobs are highly sedentary – an estimated 80% of the modern workforce – experience a much higher risk of insomnia symptoms, according to a new study led by University of South Florida psychologist Claire Smith.

The findings, newly published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, show that among more than 1,000 employees surveyed over a decade, sedentary work and nonstandard work times are significant threats to sleep health.

Those two factors, hastened by technological changes such as increased computer work, are linked to a 37% increase in insomnia symptoms among sedentary workers and a 66% greater risk of needing “catch-up sleep” – defined as frequent napping or sleeping in on weekends – for those who keep nontraditional work schedules.

"The way we are designing work poses serious, long-term threats to healthy sleep,” Smith said. “Healthy sleep involves more than just getting your eight hours. It’s also falling asleep easily, sleeping through the night and having a consistent sleep schedule. Companies should be aware of the specific sleep risks of their workforce to improve detection and intervention."

The research, based on data from the national Midlife in the United States study, identified three sleep health categories among workers over a 10-year period: good sleepers, catch-up sleepers and insomnia-like sleepers.

The study found that sedentary work is strongly linked to the insomnia sleeper category, characterized by symptoms such as difficulty falling asleep, interrupted sleep and frequent daytime tiredness. Meanwhile, employees with nontraditional schedules, such as working night shifts, were more likely to fall into the catch-up sleeper group.

Smith said the research suggests that moving your body during the workday and limiting after-hours work may not just help you sleep well that night but protect against ongoing sleep problems a decade later.

The study also shows that workers who fall into a pattern of poor sleep due to their job design, such as long hours of sedentary work or erratic schedules, may end up stuck in such unhealthy patterns for years. For example, 90% of insomnia-like sleepers saw their symptoms persist 10 years later.

“This is particularly important for both employers and employees, since research shows that poor sleep health is known to impact productivity, well-being and overall health,” said Smith, who led the project in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team of experts in psychology, psychiatry, aging and medicine.

She added that the findings suggest redesigning jobs with sleep health in mind could be key to improving worker well-being and underscore the need for workplace interventions that consider sleep health as a dynamic, multifaceted issue, rather than a one-size-fits-all problem.

The study was supported by grants from the National Institute on Aging and included researchers from Penn State University, University of Pittsburgh, Arizona State University and St. Anne’s University (Czech Republic).

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About the University of South Florida

The University of South Florida, a high-impact research university dedicated to student success and committed to community engagement, generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. Across campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health, USF serves approximately 50,000 students who represent nearly 150 different countries. U.S. News & World Report has ranked USF as one of the nation’s top 50 public universities for six consecutive years and, for the second straight year, as the best value university in Florida. In 2023, USF became the first public university in Florida in nearly 40 years to be invited to join the Association of American Universities, a group of the leading 3% of universities in the United States and Canada. With an all-time high of $692 million in research funding in 2023 and a ranking as a top 15 public university for producing new U.S. patents, USF is a leader in solving global problems and improving lives. USF is a member of the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at  www.usf.edu

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Journal

Journal of Occupational Health Psychology

Method of Research

Data/statistical analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Designing work for healthy sleep: A multidimensional, latent transition approach to employee sleep health