Australians are so exhausted they've become less productive at work, chucking sickies or having a surreptitious nap on the job, according to new sleep data.
Fifteen per cent of workers have admitted to taking a sneaky nap at work, while 30 per cent of shift workers say they have fallen asleep on the job, according to a survey for private health insurer HIF.
More than half of the 1003 people surveyed reported turning up for work exhausted this past year with the vast majority of 90 per cent saying it had effected their productivity by up to 15 per cent.
Three in 10 admitted to faking being sick and taking the day off because they were tired, while eight in 10 fly-in-fly-out workers said they were turning up to their long shifts exhausted.
As well as being a less-than-desirable situation for Australian employees, the exhaustion levels are having an impact on businesses and the economy too, sleep expert Amanda Slinger says.
"Poor sleep is a critical workplace issue, affecting both employee and organisational health and performance through higher absenteeism, reduced productivity, and weakened innovation,” said Ms Slinger, founder of SleepSpot.
"When employees are underslept, they’re at greater risk of errors, poor decisions, and stress-related illnesses, which directly impact an organisation’s bottom line."
HIF's CEO Justin James concurred said it was concerning how exhausted Australia was as a nation, describing sleep as "one of the three pillars of health".
"Not getting enough of it is clearly costing the economy dearly - but the health impacts are so significant, and often underestimated," he said.
“Not enough importance is placed on sleep in Australia... There are no medals for ‘powering through’; sleep is a health issue, and we need to treat it as such. No one needs to ‘fake a sickie’ if they’re tired."
The results of the survey complement the findings of the Real Sleep Report 2023, conducted by Real Insurance, which found while most Australians considered eight hours to constitute a "good sleep", on average people averaged seven.
Nearly four in 10 people had frequent or consistent struggles with sleep difficulties with stress and anxiety, financial worries or family concerns most likely to keep people up at night, the survey of 1202 people found.
The sleep issues contributed to or made worse several other health issues facing Australians, including mental health, high blood pressure, a weakened immune system and obesity, it said.
Research by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has found nearly half of all Australian adults report at least two sleep-related problems including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke.
People are aware of the importance of sleep and are making moves to address the issue, the Real Sleep Report found, with nearly half adopting a sleeping schedule, avoiding caffeine, alcohol and nicotine or maintaining a balanced diet in a bid to improve their sleep quality.
Three in 10 are using health supplements designed to promote better sleep and a quarter of Australians have sought medical advice for their problem in the bedroom.
Sex has a role to play in better sleep, according to the Real Sleep Report, with 68 per cent of respondents reporting better sleep if they have frequent sex and, conversely, a lack of sleep negatively affecting the libido of 63 per cent. However, nearly half of respondent prioritised a better sleep over sex.
But the impact of a bad night's sleep on workplace activity is pronounced in this report too, with more than 40 per cent saying they had called in sick in the past year due to tiredness and 12 per cent admitting to doing so four times or more.
Ms Slinger says there are steps that can be taken in the workplace, through targeted education and smart work design, to enhance employee sleep health.
HIF is practising what they preach with their staff encouraged to "nap openly" in a dedicated sleep space in their head office, Mr James said.
