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Five Jobs That Will Let You Get More Sleep

The CDC estimates that more than a third of U.S. adults don’t get enough sleep, but some jobs offer more shut-eye than others.

Five Jobs That Will Let You Get More Sleep

[Photo: G_/iStock]

BY Rich Bellis2 minute read

Find yourself regularly burning the midnight oil or getting into the office extra early just to get your work done? Then you might be wondering if a career change is in order, if only so you can get more sleep.

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention should be able to help you with the job hunt. CDC researchers recently ranked how professions fare when it comes to getting enough sleep, based on how many hours of shut-eye workers across 22 occupational groups reported getting in a 24-hour period.


Related: Why Six Hours Of Sleep Is As Bad As None At All


The CDC considers more than seven hours a night to be a sufficient amount of sleep to maintain a healthy lifestyle, while seven or less is considered “short sleep duration” (that is, not enough!). Overall, the CDC found that nearly 37% of working adults report not getting enough sleep.

Workers in the following five fields, however, seem to be clocking enough of that much-needed rest.

Professions That Get Sufficient Sleep

  1. Farming, fishing, and forestry: agricultural, hunters and fishers, forestry and conservation workers
  2. Education, training, and library: librarians, teachers, archivists
  3. Community and social services: counselors, religious workers, social workers
  4. Life, physical, and social science: scientists and science technicians
  5. Computer and mathematical: computer specialists, mathematical science jobs

And if you’re one of those people who can’t function on less than seven hours of sleep, you might want avoid these five fields altogether.


Related: How Tech Companies Are Waking Up The Sleep Industry


Professions That Don’t Get Enough Sleep

  1. Production: printing workers, woodworkers, plant operators
  2. Health care support: nursing aides; occupational and physical therapists
  3. Health care practitioners and technical: health technologists and technicians
  4. Food preparation and serving-related: cooks, servers
  5. Protective services: firefighters, law enforcement officers

Of course, we all can’t be counselors, conservation workers, and computer specialists, so maybe the takeaway here is simply: Do what you can to get more sleep. If a person who averaged less than six hours of sleep began resting for six to seven hours a day, the researchers estimate that $226 billion would be added to the U.S. economy.

On top of that, getting a good night’s rest also decreases your chances of serious health issues like depression, anxiety, diabetes, and obesity, according to the CDC.

Still convinced that you need to pull all-nighters and down energy drinks to succeed at work? Think again. Here’s a look at the science behind how your sleep regimen can either help or hurt your career.


This article originally appeared on LearnVest and is reprinted with permission.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rich Bellis was previously the Associate Editor of Fast Company's Leadership section. More


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