Workplace stress affecting the sleep of US adults

Everyday strains of working life affect the sleep patterns of millions of Americans, a new study has found.

Research from the University of Michigan revealed that common hassles at work such as office politics and personal conflicts with bosses or co-workers raises the likelihood of developing sleep problems almost two-fold.

Up to 70 million Americans suffer from some form of chronic sleep disorder, figures show.

Sociologist Sarah Burgard commented: "Together, work and sleep take up about two-thirds of every weekday, but until now, very little research has focused on the connections between work and sleep for the average US worker.

"Massive changes over the past half-century have reshaped the workplace, with major implications for sleep. For many workers, psychological stress has replaced physical hazards."

According to the study, everyday stress in the workplace is more likely to interfere with sleep quality than long hours, night shifts or job insecurity.

Previous studies have shown that people tend to sleep less and less as they age, with men over the age of 45 in particular losing the ability to fall into deep sleep.