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Coauthored by Research Scientist Siu-kuen Azor Hui, PhD, MSPH from the Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), this study investigates the effect of poor sleep on employees and employers. The study was published in the October 2015 issue of Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

Poor sleep has tremendous costs for individuals, families and employers. Insufficient sleep is associated with a number of chronic diseases and conditions—such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression. In fact, the American Heart Association has recently added insufficient sleep as one of the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. Employees who report frequent trouble sleeping are likely to have higher health care costs, averaging as much as $3,000 or more annually compared with employees who do not experience poor sleep. Employees who experience trouble sleeping are also more likely to miss work and to report diminished work performance.

“Poor sleep is a major public health problem, and one that requires much more attention from the public health community, from health care providers and from employers,” said Dr. Hui, who served as the lead author for the study prior to joining PHMC Research and Evaluation Group (REG).

“Worksites are important public health settings in which to carry out health promotion and disease prevention programs because the majority of U.S. adults spend considerable amounts of time at work each day,” said Dr. Lisa Bond, Managing Director, REG.