Lack of Work-Life Balance Leads to Poor Health

Due to the increasing pressure of modern life and despite knowing the adverse effects it has on health, people tend to work more and sleep less. A new study shows that a poor work-life balance in midlife may have negative consequences years later. Several studies have shown that long working hours are bad for one's health, with adverse effects on cardiovascular and mental health.

Conversely, flexible working hours and schedules have been shown to have positive effects on health and well-being.

In 1910, a "normal" sleeping schedule was considered an average of 9 hours per night, while today this has fallen to around 7 hours.

Damaging effects include a higher risk of stroke, coronary heart disease, and mental disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Some studies have shown that individuals who work 55 hours or more per week have a 1.3 times higher risk of stroke than those working standard hours.

Sleep deprivation has also been linked to cardiovascular disease and an increased risk of death by heart attack and stroke.

Long working hours have also been associated with a higher risk of anxiety and depression. A 5-year study found the risk of developing depression in healthy individuals is 1.66 times higher in employees working more than 55 hours a week. The risk of anxiety was 1.74 times higher.

Despite the known adverse effects of sleep deprivation and prolonged working schedules, no study has examined the combined effect of these two factors on health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

Researchers at The University of Jyväskylä in Finland looked specifically at the relationship between working hours and sleep duration in the study to determine the effects of midlife sleep deprivation and long working hours on physical functioning and overall HRQoL in later life, medicalnewstoday.com reported.

Researchers monitored the HRQoL of 1,527 businessmen born between 1919 and 1934.

They gathered data in 1974 and then again 26 years later.

The results of the study were published in Age and Ageing, the scientific journal of The British Geriatrics Society.

The study assessed the HRQoL of businessmen who worked more than 50 hours per week and slept less than 47 hours per week in midlife, by using the RAND score, a simple, general survey tool comprising of 36 questions that medical care professionals and researchers use to evaluate care outcomes in adult patients.

The study surveyed working hours, sleep duration and self-reported health issues.

Considering normal work hours as 50 hours a week and normal sleep hours as 47 hours a week, researchers combined work and sleep patterns.

The results indicated that although the effects of a poor work-life balance may not be felt immediately, the consequences extend into older age.