Stress, Worries and Sleep Loss

Workplace Stress

“Almost one in five Canadians say they are so stressed that they have considered committing suicide to relieve the pressure,” reports The Globe and Mail. What is the source of this stress? In a survey of 1,002 individuals, 43 percent cited their work. “In the modern workplace, we are pushing people to their physical and psychological limits,” says Shimon Dolan, an organizational psychologist and professor at the University of Montreal. “The pressure to perform is tremendous but, at the same time, there is great uncertainty—you don’t know if you will have a job tomorrow.” How do Canadians deal with stress? Exercise is the most popular way, says the Globe, “followed by reading a book, hobbies and playing sports, socializing and spending time with family.”



Teens’ Real Worries

“Parents are so worried about their teenage children getting mixed up with drugs that they are failing to spot the serious emotional and mental health problems that concern their offspring,” says The Times of London. A survey of more than 500 parents and more than 500 teenagers shows that 42 percent of parents believe that drug abuse is the single biggest problem facing their children. However, only 19 percent of teenagers agree. Thirty-one percent of teens worry more about relationships with friends and family, and 13 percent about bullying. Justin Irwin, director of the telephone help line Get Connected, the organization that commissioned the study, expressed particular concern about the tendency of parents to overlook their teenagers’ psychological and emotional problems. He urges parents: “Stop making assumptions. Start being realistic.”


Harmful Effects of Sleep Loss

“Nine percent of Poles sleep less than five hours per night,” reports the Warsaw weekly Wprost. “Among Americans and Britons, 1 in 3 sleeps no more than 6.5 hours a night.” According to Michał Skalski of a sleep-disorder clinic in Poland, “someone who sleeps little is under permanent stress.” Japanese research indicates that “the risk of heart attack is 50 percent higher in those who sleep five hours a day or less when compared with those sleeping eight hours per night,” reports Wprost. In addition, American studies indicate that lack of sleep may be linked to diabetes and other health problems. Sleep loss not only “leads to changes in glucose metabolism” but is also related to “increased risk of obesity,” says the report. “When you’re tired, your body tries to compensate for the lack of energy,” explains the magazine American Fitness. “Sleep-deprived people tend to eat and drink more to feel awake. So, if you’ve lost a couple pounds and want to keep them off, sleep a little more.”




Icek Blueyez