This weekend it's that time again:the clocks go forward one hour. Prior to this day, it is National Sleep Week (March 19-25).
On the occasion of this, the NSWO (Dutch Association for Sleep/Wake Research) has conducted research into how work can influence sleep.
A few striking results emerge from this: for example, 28% of Dutch people with a paid job are regularly awake from work. One in six (16%) has too little time to get enough sleep because of work. And if they are faced with the choice between an hour of extra sleep or working an hour longer in the evening, half opt for work.
And furthermore, sleep deprivation mainly occurs in evening types. Not surprising, because evening types fall asleep on average almost an hour and a half later (around 12 a.m.) than morning types. They do have to get up early on working days, so they don't wake up rested or oversleep. Previous research has established that the biological clock in the brains of evening types is set too late. That is why it is often easier to adjust working hours than to shift the rhythm of the biological clock.
More information can be found at www.nswo.nl.
