by Alissa C. Atkins, Esq.

A recent article in the AJC (Friday, April 27, 2012) noted that thirty percent of United States workers are not getting the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep a night. In fact, 40.6 million U.S. workers report getting less than six hours of sleep a night. The lack of sleep can lead to chronic sleep deprivation, making accidents more likely.

Commercial drivers are at significant risk for sleep deprivation, especially those involved in long haul travel that often takes place outside a specified time table. The AJC article estimates that 20% of car crashes are caused by drowsy drivers. Other areas in which loss of sleep has great impact are workers in the warehouse and health care industries.

To combat this increasing concern, doctors have recommended adjusting time schedules as much as possible, sleeping in a dark bedroom with no TV, and other typical remedies. But the concern does not simply boil down to how to fall asleep, but how to stay asleep for the recommended number of hours. Employers have been working to regulate night shift hours, limit the number of night shifts an employee can work in a set time period, and offering other assistance to ensure employees are less sleep deprived. In turn, better sleep improves performance, morale and overall health, so it benefits both employers and employees.