Poor economy causes U.K. residents to lose nearly an hour of sleep a night

As the European markets plummet, Britons’ sleep debt skyrockets. The tepid economy is the number one concern keeping people in the U.K up at night, according to a new survey. The average sleep length for the nation is only 6 hours and 21 minutes per night, well short of the AASM recommended 7-8 hours for healthy adults.

These tired workers appear to be further burdening the British economy. 28 percent of workers admitted to calling in sick after a bad nights’ sleep, totaling to about eight million sick days a year. The estimated related cost for employers totals to about $1.5 billion a year.

Further survey responses detail a dire state of sleep in the U.K. Below is the percentage of respondents who answered “true” to the following statements:

-Concentrating while driving to and from work is difficult after a bad night’s sleep: 33 percent

-Lack of sleep is to blame for inability to concentrate at work: 54 percent

-Day after poor sleep feels like a bad hangover: 56 percent

-It takes a couple days to recover from sleepless night: 45 percent

-Admit to being a “horrible person” when behind on sleep: 70 percent

-Skip morning shower to spend longer time in bed: 65 percent

-Take catnaps at the desk to catch up on sleep: 16 percent

-Nap in the work bathroom: 10 percent

The survey was undertaken for the hotel chain Travelodge. The original report was published in The Daily Telegraph.

Image by Cindy Andrie