More efficient workers sleep between seven and eight hours

A study published last September in the journal Sleep, and of which echoed The New York Times, confirms the need for sleep between seven and eight hours to perform effectively in the workplace.

The research, carried out in Finland analyzed, for a period of seven years, sleep habits and days off in 3,760 people, 1,875 women and 1,885 men. Their ages were around, when he began the study, 30 to 64 years.

The main conclusion is that the days are associated with worker sleep habits: obviously, those who cannot sleep well (for insomnia and other disorders) were those who stayed at home most days and could not go to work, especially those who sleep five hours or less.

But, paradoxically, those who slept for many hours more (at least 10), also missed many days. Both groups could not go to work between 5 and 9 days more than the so-called optimal sleeping, those that rest between seven and eight hours per night.

Workers that less missed, according to the research, were the women who slept an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes per night and the men who made it a little more: 7 hours and 46 minutes.

The most cited frequent causes were related to insomnia, early morning awakening, symptoms be more tiring day than people of the same age, use of sleeping pills, excessive day dream, probably sleep apnea and report on changes in the sleep duration in the different seasons of the year.

The authors of the study, from the Finnish Institute of occupational health, Department of public health at the University of Helsinki and the National Institute of health and welfare, conclude that it is essential to prevent alterations of sleep and promote an optimal duration of night rest to prevent the sick leave.