Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Prevalence of Sleep Problems in Diverse Professions in India and Its HR Implications

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Sleep and Vigilance Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The present study investigated prevalence of sleep problem among four professional groups viz. i.e. Consultants, Academicians, Marketing Executives and Technical Professionals.

Methods

The quality of sleep of the participants was assessed through Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and daytime sleepiness through the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), respectively. 419 professionals participated in the study (n =  419, age = 31 ± 7.7 years; Male = 202 and Female = 217).

Results

The study findings indicate 79.2% and 48% of the participants reported poor sleep quality and sleepiness correspondingly. No statistically significant difference was found in the mean PSQI and ESS scores between male and female participants. The mean PSQI score between the age group of 23–29 years and 49–54 years was significantly different, but not the ESS score. Daytime sleepiness of the consultant was higher and it was significantly different from Academicians, marketing Executives and Technical professionals.

Conclusion

Our findings have important theoretical and practical implications and call into question the universality of the PSQI and ESS measures. Based upon the EFA and CFA analysis, the PSQI and ESS measure items are shortened to 4 and 7 items, respectively. We offer a shorter version of both the measures and indorse its use in Indian context.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Copyrighted Permission has been granted for the use of PSQI Questionnaires. For more details: Buysse et al. [24].

  2. Johns MW. A new method for measuring daytime sleepiness: the Epworth sleepiness scale. Sleep. 1991;14(6);540–5. PMID 1798888.

  3. In the current study component 6, which deals with use of sleep medications has been excluded from the study. Hence any score of ‘4’ and greater instead of ‘5’ was considered as an indicator of poor sleep quality.

References

  1. Bonnet MH, Arand DL. 24-Hour metabolic rate in insomniacs and matched normal sleepers. Sleep. 1995;18(7):581–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Balter MB, Uhlenhuth EH. New epidemiologic findings about insomnia and its treatment. J Clin Psychiatry. 1992.

  3. Dembe AE, Erickson JB, Delbos RG, Banks SM. The impact of overtime and long work hours on occupational injuries and illnesses: new evidence from the United States. Occup Environ Med. 2005;62(9):588–97.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  4. Dong X. Long workhours, work scheduling and work-related injuries among construction workers in the United States. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2005;31(5):329–35.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Folkard S, Tucker P. Shift work, safety and productivity. Occup Med. 2003;53(2):95–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Grosch JW, Caruso CC, Rosa RR, Sauter SL. Long hours of work in the US: associations with demographic and organizational characteristics, psychosocial working conditions, and health. Am J Ind Med. 2006;49(11):943–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Vegso S, Cantley L, Slade M, et al. Extended work hours and risk of acute occupational injury: a case-crossover study of workers in manufacturing. Am J Ind Med. 2007;50:597–603.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Nakata A. Effects of long work hours and poor sleep characteristics on workplace injury among full-time male employees of small- and medium-scale businesses. J Sleep Res. 2011;20:576–84. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2011.00910.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Barnes CM, Schaubroeck J, Huth M, Ghumman S. Lack of sleep and unethical conduct. Organ Behav Hum Decis Process. 2011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2011.01.009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Barnes CM. Working in our sleep: sleep and self-regulation in organizations. Organ Psychol Rev. 2012;2:234–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/2041386612450181.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Pack AI. Advances in sleep-disordered breathing. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2006;173(1):7–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Swanson LM, Arnedt J, Rosekind MR, Belenky G, Balkin TJ, Drake C. Sleep disorders and work performance: findings from the 2008 National Sleep Foundation Sleep in America poll. J Sleep Res. 2011;20(3):487–94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Shen J, Barbera J, Shapiro CM. Distinguishing sleepiness and fatigue: focus on definition and measurement. Sleep Med Rev. 2006;10(1):63–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. DeArmond S, Chen PY. Professional stress and workplace sleepiness. In: Rossi AM, Quick JC, Perrewé PL, editors. Stress and quality of working life: the positive and the negative. Charlotte: Information Age Publishing; 2009. p. 41–65.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Ulfberg J, Carter N, Talbäck M, Edling C. Headache, snoring and sleep apnoea. J Neurol. 1996;243(9):621–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. The Times of India. Why you feel Sleepy at work? 2016. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/Why-youfeel-sleepy-at-work/articleshow/34249762.cms. Accessed 28 Oct 2016.

  17. Raja JD, Bhasin SK. Sleep quality of call handlers employed in international call centers in national capital region of Delhi, India. Int J Occup Environ Med. 2016;7:783-207.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Suri JC, Sen MK, Singh P, Kumar R, Aggarwal P. Sleep patterns and their impact on lifestyle, anxiety and depression in BPO workers. Indian J Sleep Med. 2007;2:64–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Rugulies R, Martin MHT, Garde AH, Albertsen K. Deadlines at work and sleep quality. Cross sectional and longitudinal findings among Danish knowledge workers. Am J Ind Med. 2012;55:260–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. O’laughlin EM, Bischoff LG. Balancing parenthood and academia: work/family stress as influenced by gender and tenure status. J Fam Issues. 2005;26(1):79–106.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Sigler RT, Wilson CN. Stress in the work place: comparing police stress with teacher stress. J Police Sci Adm. 1998;16(3):151–62.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Nishikitani M, Nakao M, Karita K, Nomura K, Yano E. Influence of overtime work, sleep duration, and perceived job characteristics on the physical and mental status of software engineers. Ind Health. 2005;43(4):623–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Patton MQ. Qualitative evaluation and research methods. SAGE Publications, Inc; 1990.

  24. Buysse DJ, Reynolds CF, Monk TH, Berman SR, et al. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Psychiatry Res. 1989;28:193–213.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Hair JF, Anderson RE, Babin BJ, Black WC. Multivariate data analysis: a global perspective, 7. Upper Saddle River: Pearson; 2010.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Hämäläinen P, Takala J, Saarela KL. Global estimates of occupational accidents. Saf Sci. 2006;44(2):137–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Shochat Tamar. Impact of lifestyle and technology developments on sleep. Nat Sci Sleep. 2012;2012(4):19–31. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S18891.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Pilcher JJ, Ginter DR, Sadowsky B. Sleep quality versus sleep quantity: relationships between sleep and measures of health, well-being and sleepiness in college students. J Psychosom Res. 1997;42(6):583–96.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. National Sleep Foundation. Aging and Sleep. 2019. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/aging-and-sleep. Accessed 20 Dec 2018.

  30. Buysse DJ, Hall ML, Strollo PJ, Kamarck TW, Owens J, Lee L, Matthews KA. Relationships between the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and clinical/polysomnographic measures in a community sample. J Clin Sleep Med. 2008;4(06):563–71.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  31. Fatani A, Al-Rouqi K, Al Towairky J, Ahmed AE, Al-Jahdali S, Ali Y, Al-Jahdali H. Effect of age and gender in the prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness among a sample of the Saudi population. J Epidemiol Glob Health. 2015;5(4):S59–66.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  32. Buysse DJ, Hall ML, Strollo PJ, Kamarck TW, Owens J, Lee L, Reis SE, Matthews KA. Relationship between Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and clinical/polysomnographic measures in a community sample. J Clin Sleep Med. 2008;4(6):560–3.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Knutson KL, Rathouz PJ, Yan LL, Liu K, Lauderdale DS. Stability of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the Epworth Sleepiness Questionnaires over 1 year in early middle-aged adults: the Cardia study. Sleep. 2006;29(11):1503.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Management and Labour Studies, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, VN Purav Marg, Opp Deonar Bus Depot, Govandi, Mumbai, 400088, India

    Sasmita Palo & Moitrayee Das

Authors
  1. Sasmita Palo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Moitrayee Das
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Moitrayee Das.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

Both the authors of the paper declare that there was no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Palo, S., Das, M. Prevalence of Sleep Problems in Diverse Professions in India and Its HR Implications. Sleep Vigilance 3, 65–75 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41782-019-00065-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41782-019-00065-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation