Worker Fatigue and How to Prevent It

When you think of common hazards in the workplace, fatigue probably doesn't come to mind. After all, how many workers are really injured because they were tired? Well, the truth is that millions of workers in all sectors suffer from fatigue, increasing their risk of injury. To learn more about worker fatigue and how to prevent it, keep reading.

Why Sleep is Important for Workers

According to research conducted by Luckhaupt, Tak, & Calvert (2009), up to 30% of workers in the United States get six or fewer hours of sleep a night. Most reputable health organizations recommend a minimum of seven to eight hours of sleep a night. When you fall short of these recommendations, it slows your reaction times, cognitive thinking skills, and ultimately increases your risk of injury on the job.

Furthermore, lack of sleep has been linked to higher rates of depression. Sleep allows our body and mind to "reset." It's responsible for regulating metabolism, hormone production, memory recollection and other key processes. In order for these things to happen, though, you need to get a full seven to eight hours of shut eye a night.

Ensuring that workers get enough sleep is also important for employers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that employers whose workers don't get enough sleep suffer from reduced productivity, increased rate or errors, higher rates of absenteeism and increased healthcare compensation costs, among other things.

Tips for Better Sleep

So, what steps can you take to improve the quality of your sleep? Here are some tips that may help:

• Create a sleep schedule in which you go to sleep at the same time and wake at the same time every day.
• Avoid all sources of caffeine for at least four hours before you intent to lie down.
• Remove all distractions from your bedroom.
• Take a hot bath to relax and unwind before lying down.
• Perform light cardio during the day.
• Make your bedroom as dark as possible by removing all sources of light.
• When all else fails, consult with a sleep specialist.

Quality sleep is something that many people take for granted. Depending on the job in which you work, however, failure to get enough sleep could increase the risk of injury while also lowering your overall productivity in the process. You can often overcome sleep disorders, though, by following the tips outlined above.