Sleep shortage: Most Canadian officer workers are tired, survey says

More than three-quarters of Canadian office workers are tired on the job, according to a recent survey by a human resource consulting firm.

The survey by Robert Half International asked more than 550 adults who work in offices how often they work while tired. Seventy-six per cent of responders said they worked somewhat often or very often while tired.

For Calgary’s Teresa Nelson-Keller, it was getting to be so often that she finally decided to visit a sleep clinic.

The sleepless nights where her mind just “wouldn’t unplug” were impacting job performance, she told CTV Calgary. She wasn’t just tired at work -- her brain would become “foggy.”

“You're not able to accomplish what you want to in that set amount of time, or complete the task to the quality or level that you normally would,” she said.

The new survey suggests that Nelson-Keller is far from alone in her office daze. For consulting groups like Robert Half, the results show a mild human resources crisis: how to address a drained workforce.

“It has everything to do with productivity, individuals’ effectiveness, individuals’ enjoyment in the workplace. It can cause people to sometimes be grumpy,” Koula Vasilopoulos, Western Canada district president at Robert Half, told CTV Calgary.

Robert Half staffing firm Accountemps made a series of suggestions along with the results of the study, suggesting that managers should be alert to signs of employee fatigue and address any contributing factors in the workplace.

“By offering realistic support -- like temporary professionals to assist when workloads rise, guidance in prioritizing tight deadlines, and encouraging employees to unplug after-hours -- managers can help mitigate any work-related stressors keeping staff up at night,” said David King, Canadian president of Accountemps, in a statement.

But the solution to the sleep dearth is likely at home -- and in the palms of our hands -- some sleep experts suggest.

“The major barrier to sleep now in society is technology,” said Dr. Charles Samuels, medical director at Calgary’s Centre For Sleep. “People will literally scroll through their feeds and not go to bed … it becomes a distraction that is quite counterproductive to getting enough sleep.”

The best way to counteract the distraction is to unplug, he said. Put the screens away at least two hours before bedtime to allow your body to recharge and relax.

With files from CTV Calgary’s Jaclyn Brown

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