Study Links High Job Strain to Increased Sleep Disturbances in Middle-Aged Workers

A recent study revealed a significant link between high job strain and increased sleep disturbances among middle-aged workers in the US. Published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, the research found that workers who reported high levels of job strain experienced more sleep problems over an average follow-up period of nine years.

The study analyzed data from 1,721 workers with an average age of 51 years, all participants in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. Sleep disturbances were assessed using a well-established scale that considered four symptoms: trouble falling asleep, difficulty returning to sleep after waking during the night, waking up too early and being unable to get back to sleep, and feeling unrested during the day regardless of sleep duration.

To quantify job strain, the research team employed six different formulations based on Karasek's Job-Demand-Control model. This model defines job strain as the combination of high job demands and low job control. Each formulation used in the study showed a significant association between higher job strain at the study's outset and an increase in sleep disturbances over time.

"Our findings also suggest that the continuous formulations of job strain demonstrate better model performance with consistent and robust results, offering empirical evidence for future psychosocial occupational health research in the United States," said Yijia Sun, an MS candidate at the University of California, Los Angeles and the study's first author.

Jian Li, MD, PhD, a professor of Work and Health at UCLA and the corresponding author, emphasized the urgent need for workplace interventions to alleviate stress. "Strategies such as redesigning workloads and promoting worker autonomy could play an important role in improving sleep health and workers' well-being," he said.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq