Work stress is keeping people up at night, survey shows

Menlo Park, CA — Does worry about work keep you from getting a good night’s rest? Forty-four percent of respondents to a recent survey said work-related stress causes them to lose sleep.

In the survey, conducted by finance staffing firm Accountemps, respondents cited overwhelming workloads, lingering business problems and strained relationships with co-workers as the leading reasons for loss of sleep.

Overall, 15 percent of workers said they lost sleep over work “very often,” while 29 percent indicated they lost sleep “somewhat often.”

Other findings:

• 57 percent of respondents ages 18 to 34 reported losing sleep, compared with 45 percent of workers ages 35 to 54 and 29 percent of those 55 and older.
• Half of men and 40 percent of women reported losing sleep.
• Respondents in Miami (65 percent); Nashville, TN (59 percent); and New York (55 percent) had the highest rates of sleeplessness among 28 larger cities surveyed. Professionals in Washington (34 percent), Cleveland (27 percent), and Minneapolis (24 percent) had the lowest rates.

“Work stressors can often follow you home, but try to check them at the door,” Accountemps Executive Director Michael Steinitz said in a March 7 press release. “If you have too much on your plate, schedule time with your manager to discuss possible solutions to alleviate the pressure.”