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Midlife Sleep Habits Dictate Retirement Age, Research Shows
19 Aug
Summary
- Sleeping over nine hours nightly is linked to earlier workforce exit.
- Poor sleep quality and frequent night waking also predict leaving work early.
- Socioeconomic status impacts the link between sleep and working longer.
New research indicates that sleep habits in midlife play a crucial role in determining how long individuals remain in the workforce. Studies from Finland, involving thousands of public sector employees and working-age adults, revealed that sleeping nine hours or more nightly, or experiencing regular night disturbances, correlates with exiting employment earlier.
These findings suggest that individuals in professional roles with shorter sleep durations enjoyed the longest working life expectancies. Conversely, men in routine jobs with low education who slept excessively had the shortest working life expectancies. Sleep disturbances, including difficulty falling or staying asleep, also negatively impacted the duration of one's working life.
Dr. Saana Myllyntausta of the University of Turku highlighted that promoting sleep health and offering support for sleep disturbances is especially important for those with lower socioeconomic status. This could involve interventions like cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia delivered through occupational health services or workplace educational programs.
These insights emerge as a separate study found that a significant majority of individuals over 50 struggle with sleep, with frequent awakenings being a common issue, often without a prior diagnosis.
