Work worries keeping employees awake at night

As concerns about the UK's employment outlook rise, a new study has found that employees in the professions worst hit by the credit crunch are often getting less than the recommended eight hours of sleep each night during the working week.

With a recent survey of business leaders by the Centre for Economic and Business Research and the Hay Group suggesting that 350,000 people could be made redundant as a result of the current economic downturn, it may come as no surprise people are losing sleep.

Travelodge conducted the survey of over 4,000 British employees and found that financial and work worries were the main things keeping people awake at night, while staying late in the office also resulted in late bedtimes.

In terms of professions, estate agents were found to top the sleep deprivation list, averaging only five hours and 50 minutes of shut-eye a night.

They were followed by lorry and taxi drivers in second and third place, with bankers, builders and accountants coming close behind. Lawyers, IT professionals, engineers and charity workers also made it into the top ten.

Those working in media, marketing, or travel, on the other hand, are likely to be getting their full eight hours of beauty sleep.

'We all know that money worries and job security are key drivers of stress which in turn, leads to significant sleep loss,' Leigh McCarron, Travelodge's Director of Sleep, said.