Following Boris Johnson’s announcement that Brits can return to the physical workplace next week, new research has found that almost half (44%) of workers currently working from home are losing between three and five hours of sleep per night through worry about having to return to the workplace.
The research carried out by health and wellness company Yumi Nutrition via an independent provider has shed light on the stress returning to work is putting on us while highlighting job security as another key concern as job cuts continue. More than one in ten workers are now so worried about losing their job that they’re missing out on at least six hours of shut-eye each night with financial worries currently keeping over a fifth of Brits up at night. And for furloughed workers, the ongoing anxiety and uncertainty of whether or not they will be returning to work is keeping them up for an average of two hours every night.
When it comes to the reasons for not wanting to return to the physical workplace, 35% of respondents cited having to commute or get up earlier, whilst 27% of people are worried about losing a work-life balance and free time.
The top 5 reasons Brits don’t want to return to the physical workplace:
- Having to commute/ get up earlier
- Losing a work-life balance/ free time
- Having less time with loved ones
- Having to attend face-to-face meeting
- Seeing colleagues they don’t like
It’s not just back to work worries that are keeping Brits up at night, with social distancing, loneliness, children returning to school and having to wear a mask in shops also cited as reasons for not being able to sleep.
The top 10 worries keeping Brits awake at night:
- The health of themselves and others
- Financial worries
- Returning to the physical workplace
- Job security
- Returning to work from furlough
- Feeling lonely
- Social distancing
- Not being able to see friends and family
- Children returning to school/nursery
- Economic impact of the pandemic
As a result of the multiple worries keeping them up at night, 85% of Brits don’t feel well rested when they wake up with respondents now averaging fewer hours of sleep per night than they were getting during lockdown. This lack of sleep is also having a knock-on effect on brits’ enthusiasm with only 9% saying they feel motivated at the moment.
Despite the sleeping issues they’re facing, just under half (45%) of people say they don’t try any techniques to help them drift off. With this in mind, Yumi Nutrition has created a ‘Bedtime Zone’ on its website with a number of resources to help improve your sleep including a downloadable sleep diary and a sleep calculator.
