A study issued by the American “Rand Corporation” revealed that insufficient sleep behaviors cause an economic loss of 2 percent of the countries’ GDP annually.
This study takes into account the impact of not getting enough sleep on the general health of citizens in terms of increasing the risk of chronic diseases, in addition to the impact on productivity and the resulting repercussions for individuals, companies and governments.
According to the study, the United States incurs economic losses amounting to $411 billion annually, which represents 2.3 percent of its GDP, followed by Japan with $138 billion annually, or 2.9 percent of its GDP, then Germany with $60 billion.
The study added that about 50 percent of adults suffer from insomnia symptoms, while 15 to 25 percent suffer from clinical and chronic insomnia.
Remarkably, adults with insomnia were willing to pay 14 percent of annual household income to achieve the same level of life satisfaction as those without insomnia.
Economic projections indicate that reducing the effects of chronic insomnia among the workforce could lead to significant economic gains estimated at billions of dollars.
Dr. Waheed Ahmed, Head of the Department of Chest and Sleep Medicine at Arpagon Hospital, says:
- Man spends a third of his life sleeping, so the quality of this sleep affects health closely.
- People between the ages of 18 and 65 need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep.
- Sleep is very important because it boosts immunity in the body and helps the little ones to grow normally.
- Not getting enough sleep portends serious health disorders such as the heart, and these diseases have a cure and a bill.
For her part, Sabine Owais, a specialist in economic affairs, said:
- Many companies aspire to increase productivity, and achieving this goal cannot be done in isolation from the physical strength of the employees.
- Sleep enhances the employee’s ability to be creative in his work, especially when the company needs consulting, research, statistics and analysis.
- Losses or gains from sleep quality vary from region to region, and it is certain that the conditions people live in in the Arab region inevitably affect their work productivity.
- When an employee works in an uncomfortable environment, for example, this increases his susceptibility to mental illnesses such as depression, and the bill for this medication can be avoided to some extent.
