Effects of poor sleep and fatigue
Research shows good sleep habits benefit workers and organisations. Indeed, fatigue and poor sleep can negatively affect safety, health, performance, productivity and even team relationships. Understanding these effects can help build your case for action.
Part of the Fatigue, sleep and mental health module.
Effects of fatigue and poor sleep
Around 40% of Australians report getting inadequate sleep and 60% report experiencing sleep problems 1–3 times a week.
The negative effects of poor sleep and fatigue are well documented.
Poor sleep and fatigue can affect your health, including higher:
- disease burden – increased risk of illness (e.g. heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety or depression) and injury (e.g. related to operating machinery or driving)
- healthcare use – associated with increased illness and injury
- absenteeism (e.g. workplace absence due to illness) or presenteeism (e.g. sub-optimal work performance due to working while ill).
It also affects your performance at work such as:
- higher risk of injury (e.g. related to operating machinery or driving)
- lower job satisfaction and poor work engagement
- poor interactions with others (e.g. team members, customers or clients)
- decision errors
- lower creativity and innovation
- lower productivity and quality of work
- unethical behaviour.
Poor sleep and fatigue negatively impacts organisations through:
- increased costs associated with higher absenteeism and presenteeism
- lost productivity
- workers compensation claims for workplace injuries
- poor decision making that results in lost opportunities or wasting resources on poor investments.
Over time, these effects can undermine an organisation’s financial position.
It also negatively impacts the economy.
A Senate inquiry into sleep health found lost productivity and accidents due to poor sleep cost the Australian economy over $26 billion in 2016-17.
Factors contributing to fatigue and poor sleep.
Work and non-work related factors can contribute to fatigue and poor sleep. Work-related factors include:
- work shift length and timing – shift work schedules can result in poor quality sleep because it disrupts normal body rhythms
- work demands and stress.
Non-work-related factors can include illness or pain, domestic circumstances and environmental factors.
Benefits of managing sleep and fatigue
Well-rested workers:
- miss less work
- do a better job when present
- have fewer workplace accidents
- make better decisions
- interact positively with others.
Research shows how much sleep we get can affect people’s perceptions of us. People who have not slept well are perceived as less trustworthy and less attractive than people who look well rested. These factors may be important for workers with public or client facing roles.
Everyone benefits when workers get good sleep—workers, organisations and the economy.