Want to know what is keeping marketers awake at night? According to a new study it is simply their jobs, with 75% of workers in the marketing sector citing workplace stress as a key cause of their disrupted sleep, with a further 90% admitting that a stress-related disrupted sleep negatively affects their emotions.
Independent job board CV-Library interviewed 1,300 workers around the topic of sleep and the workplace, with input from sleep neuroscientist Professor Jim Horne.
It found that 76.5% of marketing professionals admit that having a bad night’s sleep negatively impacts their working day, with 43.8% claiming that they feel exhausted on a daily basis.
While the majority of workers in the sector (52.9%) would like to get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, only 23.5% currently achieve this, with most people (76.5%) actually getting 5-7 hours. The research found that sleep deprivation is most likely to affect an employee in the marketing industry’s ability to stay focused (88.2%) as well as their ability to make important decisions (41.2%) and to complete their tasks (35.3%).
CV-Library founder and managing director Lee Biggins said: “There are many factors that can affect your performance at work and I’m sure we’re all familiar with the negative feelings that can follow a bad night’s sleep. While this is manageable every now and again, it can quickly become all-consuming if not dealt with properly and it’s concerning to learn that many workers aren’t sleeping well because of workplace stress.
“If you’re suffering particularly badly, it could be worth talking to your employer to see if there’s anything that can be done to make the working day that little bit easier for you. For example, being able to work from home if you’re not feeling 100%, or taking an earlier lunch break if you’re in desperate need of some fresh air, are just small steps that can make a big difference.”
Professor Horne added: “Most work situations require individuals to make critical decisions, remain focussed and complete tasks within a timely and efficient manner. However, it’s clear from these findings that sleep loss can impair attention to detail amongst workers. The longer a person is awake, the more likely their mood is to be negatively affected, as well as their willingness to take risks in the workplace. Again, this could be cause for concern.”
Individuals who work outdoors get the longest amount of sleep each night (33.7% achieved 7-8 hours) and were the most likely to sleep well. Managers on the other hand were the most likely to rarely sleep well at night, as well as being the most likely to reference workplace stress as their main cause for sleep deprivation.
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