Not enough sleep: A third of Brits admit to nodding off in the workplace

A new study shows millions of employees are so tired at work from a lack of sleep they’re unable to do their job safely, while a third of bushed Brits admit they’ve fallen asleep at work.

The research, which polled 2000 British workers, was commissioned by injury law specialist Accident Advice Helpline. It shows one in 10 employees have injured themselves or a colleague because of a lack of sleep. A quarter admit they regularly fail to get the rest they need, with 12% claiming they get less than three hours of sleep a night.

Pressure to meet demanding targets, work being too intense and a shortage of proper breaks are among the key reasons for workers being so shattered. A fifth blame long working hours, with 14% saying they have no choice but to work overtime. Meanwhile, 16% say they don’t get enough breaks and one in five face tough deadlines. One in eight admit they go to work tired after a night out.

More than a third of people claim to get less than five hours sleep at night, while a quarter of respondents say their chronic tiredness has led them to snatching a few extra minutes of napping on the commute to or from work.

David Carter, a spokesman for Accident Advice Helpline says: “These are really worrying statistics. Tiredness obviously can seriously impair someone’s judgement and ability to do their job safely. As tiredness can be a contributing factor to workplace accidents and injuries, it’s so important to follow appropriate safety guidelines, for example taking appropriate breaks and ensuring you’re not doing hours which are too long.”