Constant fatigue can lead to burnout. People that burnout report many symptoms such as reduced job satisfaction, physical complaints, fatigue, sleep disturbances and impaired cognitive performance. Being unhappy on the job and suffering from poor sleep can lead to people burning out and looking for employment elsewhere.
Does working and poor sleep automatically lead to burnout?
We all need to work. Enjoying your job is a great thing, and having a productive and inviting work environment can encourage people to stay at a position and work more efficiently. If we take the worst case scenario, a job you don’t like to do, an unwelcoming work environment and sleep problems, we have a situation where burnout is very likely to happen.
The mechanism behind burnout is unknown, but a possible cause is due to stress-induced sleep disturbances which can lead to mental and physical exhaustion. Subjects with high burnout scores showed more arousals during sleep.
Will fixing sleep issues prevent burnout?
It will help. The main issues that stem from of being unhappy due to the type of work and/or work environment and the daily stresses need to be addressed in order to fully prevent burnout. Helping employees get a good night’s sleep may reduce absenteeism. Changing the start time may also help a lot of people who are suffering from sleep deprivation. Working from 9 to 5 may be truly tortuous for most workers. Dr. Kelley and a research team at the Sleep and Circadian Institute, have noted that waking early for a shift at 9 am violates the natural circadian rhythm of the human body. Companies that force employees to start earlier than 10am are putting stress on the emotional and physical systems of the workers, causing increased number of sick days and a lower quality of work.
If you think you may have a sleep disorder, or are experiencing any difficulty with getting to sleep, staying asleep, staying awake during the day, or have any other sleep related questions, feel free to contact Clinique Somnomed by clicking the link below.
We provide quick and convenient sleep testing in your home, in and around the greater Montreal area. We test patients every year for sleep disorders both common and rare.