The Japanese work long hours but a new study estimates that sleep deprivation costs their economy 3.5 trillion yen (30.7 billion dollars) a year, mainly in lost productivity.
The study covered 3,075 employees of a company in Osaka, noting their sleeping habits and alertness during work hours or while driving, while taking into account salary levels. It concluded that spending more time on the job did not lead to increased productivity while a lack of sleep can cause more traffic accidents.
"Many people think that if you sleep less you will have more time to work (and be more productive) but that is a total misconception," said report author Makoto Uchiyama, professor of Psychology and Mental Health at Nihon University.
"This study is intended to raise awareness about the importance of sleep," he said, while adding: "It is up to each individual's moral and mental discipline to be able to sleep more or better."
A record number of Japanese became seriously ill or even died due to overwork last year. Japan's annual working hours per person are among the highest in the developed world.
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