• Posted January 9, 2025

Poor Sleep Hurts Work Productivity, Survey Shows

Got brain fog? Can't concentrate because you didn't sleep well -- or sleep much at all -- last night?

Tiredness and fatigue from sleep deprivation are common problems, says the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). Inadequate rest can lead to individual mood and health issues, as well as dips in work productivity, which extends the problem to workplace teams, managers and employers. The NSF commissioned research to explore these effects.

About 60% of adults surveyed reported negative impacts of inadequate sleep; 70% of them said not getting quality sleep hurts their general level of work productivity, according to recent survey results.

In fact, data from the National Sleep Foundation's survey shows that 2/3 of participants said they have difficulty handling their workload and avoiding mistakes when they’ve had compromised rest.

Sleep quality impacts not only an individual's personal health but also their work performance, quality and productivity.

Employees with poor sleep are bad for business, suggests the NSF survey results presented this week at CES 2025, the annual electronics trade show held in Las Vegas.

The wake-up call to managers, owners and bosses: Poor sleep can drag down productivity. Companies should value well-rested workers.

“Whether an organization employs 20 people or 200,000, focusing on sleep health and safety in their own community of colleagues can benefit performance and productivity at work and in daily living,” Dr. Joseph Dzierzewski, the National Sleep Foundation Senior Vice President of Research and Scientific Affairs, said in a release from the organization.

As businesses seek to fully recover from the pandemic, and workers return to the workplace full-time or to a hybrid schedule, quality sleep -- and well-rested employees -- are in demand.

"Not getting healthy sleep has a real, meaningful, negative impact on the workplace and employees," the NSF survey report authors wrote. "Over 50% of people indicated poor sleep has a negative impact on their general work productivity, including working required hours, not making mistakes at work, and being able to interact appropriately with others at work.

Put another way: when workers snooze, everyone loses.

Survey Says...

Results for the new NSF survey were based on an online, national survey utilizing a probability-based, random sample of 1,372 U.S. adults, oversampled for both Black and Hispanic individuals. Administered in English or Spanish, the survey asked questions about the employee-reported negative impacts of not getting healthy sleep.

Th findings, in terms of specific workplace and employee-related consequences of not getting healthy sleep, indicated that inadequate rest had a negative impact on their ability to:

• Work the required number of hours (55% of respondents)

• Get going at the beginning of the day (72%)

• Think clearly (69%),

• Do work carefully (58%)

• Interact with people in person, in meetings, or on the phone (47%)

• Control their temper in front of people (48%)

While much research has looked at the negative consequences of poor sleep health, such as mood changes, cognitive difficulties, and physical health concerns, say report authors, less is known about the negative effects of insufficient sleep in the workplace and employee functioning.

NSF noted a steady increase in the development of new sleep-focused personal electronics, or sleep tech, such as devices and wearables on display at this year's CES trade show.

More Information

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has more on sleep, productivity and safety.

SOURCE: Sleep and Employee Performance: A National Sleep Foundation Population Study of the Consequences of Not Getting Healthy Sleep, news release, Jan. 7, 2025.