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Yawn: Is Your Profession the Most Sleep-Deprived?

Libby Kane
Libby Kane
Posted on Feb 28, 2012

Tired?

We don’t doubt it, especially if you’re a home health aide or a lawyer.

That’s because mattress company Sleepy’s analyzed data from the Center for Disease Control to rank professions in terms of hours of sleep per night, and home health aides (with six hours and 57 minutes) and lawyers (with seven hours) claimed first and second place, according to Jezebel.

Depending on your profession, this news is either an excuse for your third morning coffee or a frustrating refutation of your standard Monday morning “I’m so tired.”

Following the home health aides and lawyers, the next most tired (in descending order), are:

  1. Police Officers
  2. Physicians
  3. Economists
  4. Social Workers
  5. Computer Programmers
  6. Financial Analysts
  7. Plant Operators
  8. Secretaries

But it’s not all yawns. The most well-rested professions, from the same data, are the following:

  1. Forest and Logging Workers
  2. Hairstylists
  3. Sales representatives
  4. Bartenders
  5. Construction workers
  6. Athletes
  7. Landscapers
  8. Engineers
  9. Aircraft Pilots
  10. Teachers

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  • Anonymous

    DUDE! You forgot JOURNALISTS!!! 

  • AKM

    I’m a secretary studying to become a social worker. This explains a lot. :-/

  • JGlover

    I’m baffled at how teachers are on the “most well-rested” list …I am one teacher who is certainly not well rested!

  • Trauma Dad

    So Physicians aree number two on the list of most sleep deprived – What about the Nurses whom care for the physicians patients ALL night long……

    • Marygrace

      What about residents working 88 hrs or more a week. Granted many nurses take double shifts when asked, and they do it for extra money but a lot of nurses have 3-5 shifts a week. And they get breaks during surgery, or during floor work.

  • hilary

    They forgot anyone one working an overnight job. And I too was surprised by nurses not making the list. Also, I have yet to meet a well rested teacher, or bartender. Where do these teachers and bartenders work? ;)

  • md13500

    Physicians in training (Residency) should be listed. The new cap of working hours is 80 to 88. Previously we worked 100+ hours a weeks, sometimes up to 120hrs plus a week. It’s part of training, to perform under those expectations and we all get through it.  

  • entrepreneur

    How does this list not include Entrepreneurs, you know – the risk-takers, the ones who bet their money, time, resources and health to make jobs and provide services/products, only so they can spend all the possible hours out of 24 trying to keep their business competitive and afloat in this economy and competition. 

    Ring a bell?