TO mark World Sleep Day (March 18), the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity is teaming up with Sleepstation to offer free access to support for anyone in the construction sector suffering from insomnia or poor sleep health.
Accessed via the Construction Industry Helpline App, Sleepstation is an NHS-approved service. The charity is offering the sleep improvement programme free of charge to help address poor sleep in the industry.
A good night’s sleep helps us deal with stress, improves resilience, and optimises our immune system. However, the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity said the nature of the work in construction lends itself to poor sleep quality and quantity.
The charity highlighted a number of ‘key’ sleep facts in construction, including that over 80% of workers in the sector are not getting enough sleep; the industry ranks third for the highest average hours worked per week; and 44% of UK construction workers travel around 2-3 hours a day to work and back.
Sleepstation looks at the underlying reasons why people are having problems, while dedicated support teams can deliver a plan that reflects the issues identified.
Sleepstation offers a personal sleep assessment and expert analysis; confidential advice and reports; and support from an expert team who offer personal advice.
Sarah Bolton, director of charitable services for the charity said, “We launched Sleepstation in autumn of last year and it has been very successful, but we really want to ensure that everyone in construction knows about and has free and easy access to this fantastic resource. We already know that construction workers work in an environment that can be incredibly stressful and emotionally challenging.
“Add to that, the complications of irregular shift patterns, long working hours, early starts and demanding workloads and it’s not difficult to see why our construction workforce are at such high risk of sleep fatigue. With our app’s latest addition, within a few moments, users can access the highest level of support without lengthy waiting times to get an appointment with their GP or a GP referral – it’s really that simple.”
For more information about Sleepstation visit https://www.constructionindustryhelpline.com/sleep
