One-third of working Indians sleep deprived: Survey

Almost a third of professionals in India say they sacrifice sleep to fit in personal and work commitments by waking up early or by burning the proverbial midnight oil, a survey said.

The survey, conducted by Regus, a multinational providing flexible working hours, said that in India 31 percent of working people sacrifice sleep to fit in work and personal commitments, while 22 percent feel they have to over-compensate for time taken off for personal matters.

It said that globally 29 percent of professionals sleep less than they wish to, to fit all their commitments.

"Although flexible working hours is highlighted to reduce commuting, creating more hours in the day for sleep or family life and improving productivity and staff retention, only 60 percent of firms are rewarding management for encouraging the creation of a flexible workforce," the survey said.

The survey highlighted that working professionals who had a short commuting time (41 percent) and greater flexibility of location (36 percent) would have had more time to spend with their families and to catch some extra shut-eye.

Businesses can also benefit from introducing greater flexibility, which is reported to improve productivity (69 percent) and help retain staff (84 percent), the survey claimed.

The survey interviewed more than 24,000 business people from over 90 countries.

"With 11 percent of Indians having taken time off due to sleep deprivation, it is vital all businesses address the issue immediately," said Madhusudan Thakur, regional vice president, south Asia, Regus. - IANS