March 10-16, 2024: National Sleep Awareness Week

March 10-16, 2024: National Sleep Awareness Week

Construction workers experience high rates of poor sleep quality, with major risk factors of irregular sleep patterns including chronic diseases, depression, and accumulated physical fatigue. Poor sleep quality is linked with reduced self-care capacity, which in turn predicts increasingly poorer sleep (amongst a slew of other physical and emotional health concerns that can result from neglecting one's own care). 

Disordered sleep is linked with several mental health concerns; including depression, anxiety, poor concentration, and insomnia (all of which are tied to safety hazards for workers, such as accidents related to impaired motor skills and slow response time). Disordered sleep is also correlated with many physical health concerns, including cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Because of the strong likelihood that sustained poor sleep quality will negatively impact overall wellbeing; the Bricklayers' Member Assistance Program (BAC MAP) recognizes National Sleep Awareness Week, and encourages all members to proactively address their sleep health and hygiene. 

If medical help is warranted, speak to your doctor about occupation-specific factors (such as shift work), in order for sleep management interventions to be tailored to your needs. To address mental health concerns that may be contributing to or caused by poor sleep quality, or any other related wellbeing concerns, pleasecall BAC MAP at 1-833-MAP-TALK. 

For additional information about National Sleep Awareness Week, or to learn more about becoming your "best slept self," please visit the National Sleep Foundation's website. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please call 911. You may also obtain immediate 24/7 help from the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling 988.