People with these jobs tend to have the worst sleep quality

Are we surprised?

As the saying goes, work hard, play hard. But when all is said and done, how are our occupations impacting our quality – and quantity – of slumber? We investigate which jobs could be having a detrimental impact on sleep, and which Australians are nailing their work-life balance.

According to the Body+Soul 2025 sleep report, one in three Aussies are falling short of clocking in enough hours in bed at night, getting less than the recommended 7 to 9 hours. 

And with work pressure being one of the leading causes of stress for Aussies right now, it’s no wonder that those of us with demanding, stressful work schedules and workloads are finding it tough to maintain a lucrative sleep routine. 

So, which Aussies are finding it the hardest to switch off their minds and bodies after a long day at work? Here are the occupations linked with the worst sleep quality.

The occupations struggling the most with sleep

According to data from the Body+Soul 2025 sleep report, Australians with high-stress jobs or shift work are the most vulnerable when it comes to poor sleep quality.

Community and personal service workers reported the most trouble in the sheets, with up to 9 per cent clocking in less than 4 hours of sleep per night. They also represent the lowest percentage of people meeting the recommended target of 7 to 9 hours, with only 53 per cent getting adequate rest. 

Health care workers, the second-worst group of occupational sleepers, also report experiencing the highest daily impact on performance due to poor sleep.

Health care workers report experiencing the highest daily impact on performance due to poor sleep. Image: Pexels

Who in the workforce is sleeping the best?

69 per cent of professionals and 62 per cent of managers report getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep at night, the highest proportions of any group of workers. Only 6 per cent of professionals report getting as little as 5 hours of sleep, with 11 per cent of managers also relying on the same measly amount.

Interestingly, both blue-collar and white collar workers report similar sleeping patterns, with 59 per cent and 64 per cent, respectively, clocking up the recommended 7 to 9 hours of shut-eye each night. 

However, white collar workers are more likely to practice mindfulness exercises such as deep breathing and meditation than their blue-collar counterparts. 

Our lack of sleep is impacting our performance at work. Image: Pexels

Our lack of sleep is impacting our performance at work

With adequate sleep and rest needed to ensure peak physical, cognitive and emotional function, it’s no surprise that those of us not clocking enough hours at night are finding our ability to concentrate during the day is often impeded. 

According to the data, Aussies with shorter sleep durations on average report higher incidences of daily performance impairments. Those of us clocking in at least 7 to 9 hours per night report an overall better ability to concentrate and perform our duties at work. 

The majority of people sleeping less than 4 hours a night (64 per cent) report daily disruptions at work, compared to only 6 per cent of Aussies getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. 

22 per cent of community and personal service workers report feeling daily performance disruptions when running on a poor night’s sleep, a trend experienced by 20 per cent of healthcare workers. Only 11 per cent of managers surveyed report experiencing daily performance disruptions from a lack of sleep. 

Retirees were found to be the most likely group of Aussies to be good sleepers. Image: Pexels

Regardless of the types of jobs people have or the hours they’re required to work, it seems the very act of working is what’s keeping most Aussies up at night. 

Given that the number one leading cause of stress for Australians right now is the financial pressure to keep up with bills and the rising cost of living, the correlation between our decreasing sleep health and the increasing cost of living is hardly surprising.

62 per cent of disrupted sleepers report feeling stressed about their financial concerns, with even 44 per cent of good sleepers sharing this sentiment. 

Work or job-related stress also ranked highly for Aussies as a source of stress, being the biggest stressor impacting disrupted sleepers (46 per cent).

By comparison, retirees were found to be the most likely group of Aussies to be good sleepers, further cementing that our tossing and turning at night can well and truly be attributed to our overflowing inboxes, spreadsheets and morning meetings. 

Originally published as People with these jobs tend to have the worst sleep quality