Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Associations Between Sleep Traits and Work-related Pay, and Performance (July 2025)-Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Associations Between Sleep Traits and Work-related Pay, and Performance

Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Associations Between Sleep Traits and Work-related Pay, and Performance

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The study led by Benjamin Walker and colleagues explored the relationship between sleep traits and work outcomes like pay and performance, employing data from the UK Household Longitudinal Survey. Findings suggest that both short and long sleep durations, along with poor sleep quality, are linked to lower pay and poorer work performance, specifically presenteeism, which involves reduced productivity while at work due to feeling unwell. The link between sleep traits and presenteeism is more substantial than with pay. They assessed these relationships using both cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis methods. Although consistent links were observed between poor sleep and presenteeism, the evidence for a causal relationship, particularly regarding pay, was less robust once additional covariates like health status were considered. The study emphasizes supporting policies to improve sleep health, suggesting that flexible work hours could be beneficial.<br /><br />Sleep health is crucial as sleep deprivation has been connected with negative health outcomes and impaired cognitive functions. There is also an evidenced inverse U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and work-related results: productive levels rise with sleep, but excess sleep (over 8 or 9 hours) becomes detrimentally linked to outcomes. The study utilized a variety of statistical methods to gauge these associations, considering various potential mediating and confounding factors including demographic, work type, and health characteristics.<br /><br />The researchers underscored the importance of fostering work environments supportive of sleep health, such as through better scheduling and sleep education. This report aligns with existing literature that indicates healthy sleep patterns possibly contribute to better work productivity due to improvements in health and cognitive functioning. However, further research—possibly using experimental or quasi-experimental methods—might be necessary to establish a direct causality and to gauge the potentially varying impact of sleep duration on diverse work and health outcomes.

Keywords

sleep traits

work outcomes

UK Household Longitudinal Survey

presenteeism

sleep quality

pay performance

sleep deprivation

work productivity

flexible work hours

sleep health policies