Working extra hours at work can have many negative effects. Not only does it increase the stress level of employees, but it can also affect their mental health. 40% of people who work long hours report suffering from depression, insomnia, overeating, and excessive drinking. Ultimately, extra hours at work mean less time for socializing, family, and other activities. And, if your job requires you to be in the office for long hours, it can be a recipe for disaster.
For some people, working overtime is a necessary evil. Many people are workaholics and cannot get enough of their jobs, so they’ll happily work extra hours. Others, however, should consider how it will affect their personal lives. Whether the extra hours will hurt their social life and health is an important question to consider. If they’ll be working long hours, how will their families and friends react? While the extra hours at work can boost your income, it can also hurt your relationships.
Depending on the employer, extra hours at work can be beneficial. Many employees don’t have set hours, so the amount of time they can put in is dependent on how much they make. However, if they work extra hours, they can increase their budget. Even better, if they’ve been working long hours for a year or more, they may be eligible for more hours. If you’re an employee, a request for extra hours will help you cover expenses, ask for bank credit, and start new projects.
Are Extra Work Hours Affecting Your Sleep?
Research suggests that the additional hours of work can interfere with your sleep. A typical adult should get seven to nine hours of sleep each night. However, one-third of Americans don’t get enough sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. This lack of sleep leads to a host of physical symptoms. Not only do these participants feel lethargic, but they also report more stress and increased workload.
Keeping an early bedtime can have a significant effect on sleep. Working late disrupts a person’s sleep patterns, and it’s proven that people who stay up late are more likely to suffer from sleep problems than those who get enough sleep. One study found that workers who worked overtime were significantly less likely to fall asleep earlier than those who didn’t work overtime. Overtime tended to disrupt the sleep patterns of 90 percent of the workers.
Managing work-related stress can be a challenge. One way to minimise work-related stress is to learn coping strategies. For example, try to negotiate your workload with your boss and suggest changing your tasks or schedule. Take breaks to relax and exercise, and consider taking breaks from work. You have to understand your patterns and understand how much deep sleep you need to feel fresh. If you cannot, schedule daytime household tasks during your sleep hours.
What Are The Bad Effects Of Extra Work Hours On Your Sleep And Health?
Can Cause Several Long-Term Diseases
Working long hours can negatively affect your sleep. Not only does it affect your sleep, but it can also cause other problems like high blood pressure, depression, and fatigue. The negative effects of lack of sleep can be long-lasting. People who work long hours are at risk of obesity, heart problems, diabetes, and memory loss. If you want to improve your health, you must prioritise getting enough sleep every night.
Higher Absence Rate At Office
The bad effect of long working hours on sleep is significant. Employees who report that they lack sleep have higher absence rates and productivity losses than those who do not. Many employers may not realise that the issue of employee sleep is more widespread than they might think. While these workers may seem to get plenty of rest, their quality of sleep suffers, resulting in tiredness and inadvertent napping while at work.
Increasing Depression And Anxiety
There is a direct correlation between extra working hours and poorer mental health. Longer working hours were associated with increased anxiety and depression symptoms, while a longer workweek was linked to decreased quality of sleep. It is also important to note that the number of extra hours worked per week may be directly related to the number of hours slept per night. But there’s a lot more to consider when considering the effects of extra hours on your health.
Cardio-Vascular Diseases
The results of this meta-analysis are quite alarming. Researchers have linked long working hours to several different health problems. They link poor sleep and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, poor physical health, and depression. These long working hours may have long-term implications for your mental and physical health. And, the downside of extra work hours is that it can lead to a variety of other problems as well.
Changing Work Hours
Changing work hours is one way to fix this problem. Some experts believe that stable shifts are better for your health than rotating shifts. For shift workers who find this difficult to do, their doctor may prescribe sleep aids. The doctor should monitor the health of shift workers to ensure they are getting adequate sleep. In addition to adjusting the work schedule, doctors can prescribe sleep aids. These medications are meant to improve the quality of sleep and promote overall health.
Emotionally Weak
A lack of sleep also negatively impacts your immune system, making you more vulnerable to common illnesses. Working while underslept makes you more prone to emotional reactions, which can impact your productivity and your overall health. It also increases the risk of serious mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety. Even worse, it affects your motivation and creativity, reducing your chances of achieving success at work. There is an even higher risk of injury and death in people who consistently lack sleep. This is a reason one should understand why deep sleep is so important.
Increased Stress
Working night shifts and on weekends can severely affect your sleep. Besides reducing your time to unwind at night, your stress levels can go high. Chronic sleep debt increases your risk of heart disease, stroke, and obesity. Moreover, it affects the hippocampus, the part of your brain responsible for memory formation. Therefore, avoiding sleep is a huge challenge for everyone. If you’re trying to improve your work-life balance, it’s worth consulting a physician for advice.
Finally
If you’re working more than nine hours a day, you’re considered to be working overtime. However, it is recommended that you calculate the number of hours you work per week. If it’s more than 48 hours, it’s time to plan for the negative effects of working overtime. The benefits of working long hours are worth it, but the negative effects can pile up over time. If you’re looking for the best ways to improve your quality of sleep, consider investing in a white noise machine and blackout curtains. Eating healthy foods is important too.
