Are British Columbian forestry workers achieving recommended sleep levels?

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article presents the results from a case study involving forestry workers. Sleep data were collected from 41 subjects over a 14-day period, and analyzed using mixed models. When considering the time spent in bed and the time actually asleep, the subjects were on average able to achieve the recommended minimum six hours of sleep. The significant factors affecting the hours of sleep obtained included the job being performed, whether the observation was followed by a day off, where the subject slept, if the subject lived with children, and when the subject drank caffeinated beverages. The significant factors affecting whether a subject felt fatigued included the hours of sleep, job class, and whether the subject lived with children. As a group, management staff were found to have lower sleep levels than the other job classes and were more likely to report feeling fatigued. Most subjects in this study had at least one day below the recommended six hours of sleep.