Researchers say lack of sleep affects worker well-being

Bozeman, MT — Industries in which workers are prone to sleep loss should develop and adopt policies that prioritize sleep to ensure better daytime function and well-being, researchers say.

Those industries include emergency response, aviation and transportation.

A team led by a researcher from Montana State University reviewed 154 studies with nearly 6,000 participants from 28 countries conducted over a 50-year period. The participants had their sleep disrupted for one or more nights, experienced a shorter-than-normal night of sleep, were periodically awakened during the night, or were kept awake for extended periods of time.

The researchers found that, along with leaving the participants tired, sleep loss can undermine emotional functioning, decrease positive moods and elevate the risk for anxiety symptoms, including rapid heart rate and increased worrying.

All three types of sleep loss analyzed – sleep deprivation, sleep restriction and sleep fragmentation – resulted in fewer positive emotions such as happiness, joy and contentment.

“In our largely sleep-deprived society, quantifying the effects of sleep loss on emotion is critical for promoting psychological health,” lead study author Cara Palmer of MSU said in a press release.

The study was published online in the journal Psychological Bulletin.