Insomniacs have a significantly higher rate of absence at work than those who sleep well, according to a study published in the US journal Sleep.
The French study found that 50% of workers with insomnia had at least one absence from work during a two-year period, compared with only 34% of good sleepers.
Among those who took time of, insomniacs missed an average of 5.8 days of work per year, while good sleepers only missed 2.4 days.
The study showed insomnia also has a significant effect on the cost of absenteeism.
The work absences of staff with insomnia cost an average of 1,736 per employee each year, while the days missed by good sleepers cost an average of 718.
The study group consisted of 369 workers with insomnia and 369 good sleepers, who were matched for age, sex, occupational category and type of employer.
In the UK, the British Thoracic Society has criticised the chronic lack of lung specialists and ‘diagnostic sleep centres’ available to help diagnose and treat the estimated one in 50 adults who suffer from sleep apnoea.
The society warned there were only 180 hospital beds in the UK dedicated to people who suffer from sleep disorders.
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Go to www.journalsleep.org
