Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today

StressFinancial wellbeingStressMental health conditionsCoronavirus

Two-thirds experiencing disturbed nights and sleep problems during lockdown

by Ashleigh Webber 4 Jun 2020
by Ashleigh Webber 4 Jun 2020 Shutterstock
Shutterstock

The lockdown is having a considerable effect on workers’ sleeping habits, with almost two-thirds (63%) of people reporting that the quality of their sleep has deteriorated since March.

Research undertaken by King’s College London and Ipsos Mori found 39% had slept fewer hours per night than before the lockdown was announced, with financial worries and stress associated with the Covid-19 pandemic given as the main reasons for this sleep deficit.

Conversely, 29% said they had slept for more hours per night, but felt less rested than they would typically the following morning. This was a particular problem among 16- to 24-year-olds, of whom 44% said they were sleeping more but felt less rested.

Overall, half of respondents said their sleep had been more disturbed than usual.

Taking together, the number of respondents who said their sleep had been disturbed, had slept fewer hours per night, or slept for longer but felt less rested, accounted for almost two-thirds of the 2,254 people who took part in the study.

Professor Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute at King’s College London, said the findings showed how unsettling the pandemic and the lockdown restrictions had been for many.

“Young people in particular have experienced the most impact on their sleep, for good and bad – they are more likely than older people to say they’ve experienced negative impacts on their sleep, but also more likely to say they’ve slept better,” said Duffy.

“As with so much about Covid-19, the crisis is affecting people very differently depending on their circumstances, and that includes the most fundamental aspects of life, such as sleep.”

Dr Ivana Rosenzweig, head of the Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience within King’s College London, said: “Adequate and good-quality sleep is important to maintain our physical and mental resilience and disturbed sleep is often caused by stress. But we also know that poor sleep can play a role in increasing our levels of stress, which can create a cycle that’s difficult to break.

“The survey also finds that unrefreshing sleep of longer duration, so called hypersomnia, was reported at a high level, especially by younger people. The associations between depressive symptoms and hypersomnia have been known for some time and again there is a complex two-way relationship between the two, which means they can create a self-perpetuating cycle.”

Ashleigh Webber
Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is editor at OHW+ and HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support. Prior to joining Personnel Today in 2018, she covered the road transport sector for Commercial Motor and Motor Transport magazines, touching on some of the employment and wellbeing issues experienced by those in road haulage.

previous post
Confusion over medical assessments leaving Northern Ireland HGV drivers ‘unable to work’
next post
Employers ‘at a loss’ about how best to support staff diagnosed with cancer

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also like

White-hot recruitment market? William Tincup talks to Oven-Ready...

24 Jun 2022

Inflation in May 2022 at 40-year high, as...

22 Jun 2022

Eight in 10 call centre workers feeling mental...

17 Jun 2022

Workforce wellbeing and job design: Stephen Bevan talks...

17 Jun 2022

Retaining talent during the great resignation (webinar)

15 Jun 2022

UK among worst in Europe for employee engagement

14 Jun 2022

Cost of living: real wages fall 2.2% in...

14 Jun 2022

Social workers ‘at breaking point’ amid soaring stress...

14 Jun 2022

NHS expanding GP-based mental health support

13 Jun 2022

Men’s Health Week 2022: What should employers do?

13 Jun 2022

  • NSPCC revamps its learning strategy with child wellbeing at its heart PROMOTED | The NSPCC’s mission is to prevent abuse and neglect...Read more
  • Diversity versus inclusion: Why the difference matters PROMOTED | It’s possible for an environment to be diverse, but not inclusive...Read more
  • Five steps for organisations across the globe to become more skills-driven PROMOTED | The shift in the world of work has been felt across the globe...Read more
  • The future of workforce development PROMOTED | Northumbria University and partners share insight...Read more
  • Strathclyde Business School expands its Degree Apprenticeship offer in England PROMOTED | The University of Strathclyde is expanding its programmes...Read more
  • The Search for Talent: Six Major Employer Pitfalls PROMOTED | The Great Resignation continues unabated...Read more
  • Navigating the widening “Skills Confidence Gap” in 2022, and beyond PROMOTED | Cornerstone OnDemand conducted a global study...Read more
  • Apprenticeships are the solution to your recruitment problems PROMOTED | Apprenticeships have the pulling power...Read more

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • OHW+
  • Join
  • Resources
    • Clinical governance
    • Disability
    • Ergonomics
    • Health surveillance
    • OH employment law
    • OH service delivery
    • Research
    • Return to work and rehabilitation
    • Sickness absence management
    • Wellbeing and health promotion
  • Conditions
    • Mental health
    • Musculoskeletal disorders
    • Blood pressure
    • Cancer
    • Cardiac
    • Dementia
    • Diabetes
    • Respiratory
    • Stroke
  • CPD
  • Webinars
  • OHW Awards
  • Jobs
  • Personnel Today