Sleep is an essential component of heart health that was recently added to the American Heart Association’s list of keys to improving and maintaining cardiovascular function. A new study published in the journal Sleep Health has shown that different levels of job demands have a substantial impact on our sleep health.
The study included almost 3,000 adults in the U.S. who were given the Job Content Questionnaire. This questionnaire assessed overall job demands as well as five specific areas of work, including intensity, role conflict, work overload, time pressure, and interruptions. Additionally, participants were asked about their sleep habits, including regularity, satisfaction/quality, daytime alertness, efficiency, and duration.
The authors of the study found that there was a “sweet spot” of job demands that led to the best sleep outcomes. Participants with job demands that were too high or too low compared to average tended to have disrupted sleep. These findings counter common narratives about how work relates to sleep, which tend to suggest that fewer job demands are better for sleep. However, the findings align with previous research suggesting that moderate stress leads to optimal performance.
A second key finding of the study was that workers with adequate control over their work tended to have the best sleep. “Adequate control” included having input on their work tasks and work environment along with learning new things on the job. Given the connections between sleep quality and a wide variety of health conditions, including heart disease, dementia, and early death, the results of this study have important implications for optimizing both health and longevity.
Savannah (she/her) is a scientific writer specializing in cardiology at Labroots. Her background is in medical writing with significant experience in obesity, oncology, and infectious diseases. She has conducted research in microbial biophysics, optics, and education. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Oregon.
