Dead tired Lack of sleep is shortening our lives and increasing our risk of making catastrophic mistakes By Andy Swales
THE WORDS THREE MILE ISLAND AND CHERNOBYL immediately trigger thoughts of nuclear meltdown, environmental catastrophe and brushes with world-altering death and destruction. But these two accidental disasters – in 1979 and 1986 respectively – have something else in common: they have both been linked, in part, with sleep deprivation among workers. Whether you’re running a nuclear power plant, piloting a plane or driving a hatchback, weary minds are dangerous things, and researchers reckon the world is now sleepier than ever. A report from the Sleep Health Foundation says about 40% of Australian adults experience some form of inadequate sleep, with almost 20% suffering “excessive daytime sleepiness”. “There were estimated to be 7.4 million Australian adults who did not regularly get the sleep they need in 2016/17... this lack of sleep was estimated to result in 3017 deaths in 2016/17,” the foundation says. “It is expected that more than one Australian will die every day – 394 over the year – from falling asleep at the wheel of a vehicle or from industrial accidents due to lack of sleep. The remaining mortality is due to sequelae such as heart diseases and diabetes.” The research, published last year, shows the economic cost of sleep deprivation in 2016/17 was $26.2 billion, comprising productivity losses of $17.9 billion, “other financial costs” of $5.9 billion, health system expenses of $1.8 billion and informal care costs of $600 million. Added to this is a $40.1 billion cost for “lost wellbeing” – years lost to ill health and death. David Hillman, Founding Chairman of the Sleep Health Foundation, tells Insurance News sleep deprivation is a growing problem, with the pattern in Australia repeating elsewhere across the developed world. “When you see this study replicated in Great Britain, the US, Finland, France, Germany… you find the problems are very, very similar,” he says. Swiss Re’s recent Sonar report on global emerging risks notes sleep deprivation is a serious and worsening issue, with implications for general and life insurers alike. “Firstly, two out of three losses worldwide are due to human failure,” it notes. “Based on Swiss Re’s Sigma [study] research, this would mean people trigger a loss volume of $US3 billion per year. Secondly, life insurance generated premiums of $US2.6 trillion [last year]. “These two facts are linked because tired people make more errors and insomniacs are at a greater risk of dying earlier than would otherwise be the case… if these trends change the loss patterns in property and casualty or mortality rates, this could have a multibillion-dollar impact on the insurance industry in the long run.” 62
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The reinsurer warns property and casualty business may be affected by more mistakes in “sensitive work environments” such as oil rigs, planes and trains, and hospitals. “For industrial facilities this could mean more man-made losses such as explosions. In the medical context, such human failures could lead to an increase in medical malpractice claims. Motor liability in general could face changing loss patterns, with more tired drivers at the wheel.” The Sleep Health Foundation notes lack of sleep is already responsible for almost one-quarter of motor accidents. Swiss Re says the world “is indeed sleeping less”, driven by changing lifestyles and new demands on workers. “Flexible work schedules, teleworking breadwinners holding multiple jobs or making long commutes, mean that people are spending less time sleeping and more time awake. “More artificial lighting and new light qualities and technologies (LED, OLED and so on), as well as extensive use of smartphone and computer games, are adding to the problem.” Professor Hillman says the foundation’s latest research reveals the growing influence of late-night “screen time”. It shows a new “bubble” of sleepiness in the under-25 age group, “and that can only be explained, I think, by the growth of social media”, he tells Insurance News. October/November 2018
