Sleep is crucial to our physical and mental health, but some occupations require long workdays, unusual shifts, and intense stress—making quality sleep a luxury. Some occupations are always at the top of the sleep deprivation list, but those in these occupations have learned to survive and even find ways to get some rest. Here’s a glimpse at the five sleepiest occupations and the coping mechanisms of workers.

5 Most Sleep-Deprived Occupations:

1. Physicians and Nurses
Physicians, particularly emergency room and intensive care physicians, frequently work night shifts and irregular long hours. Sleep deprivation in this profession is so prevalent it’s tantamount to being part of the job.

How They Adapt: Power naps between shifts, tactical use of caffeine, and alternate shifts assist them in staying awake. Some hospitals even encourage sleep-conducive scheduling.

2. Truck Drivers
Truck drivers spend nights and days on the road, usually cutting sleep short to complete tight deadlines on deliveries. Sleep deprivation accidents are common to this occupation.

How They Survive: Multiple scheduled breaks for rest, napping along the roadside, and controlled driving time reduce the danger. Most use protein-rich snacks and water to avoid sleep deprivation.

3. Startup Founders and Entrepreneurs
Starting a business from scratch frequently includes long workdays, mental pressure, and little rest. Deadlines, money pressures, and international clients may have entrepreneurs tossing and turning at night—overnight.

How They Survive: Time-blocking, mindfulness apps, and brief meditation breaks assist in coping with stress. A lot of them use the “polyphasic sleep” method—brief naps during the course of the day.

4. Security Guards
Graveyard shifts or overnight monitoring jobs have security officers spending much of the time when others are sleeping. Irregular sleep times confuse their body clock.

How They Make It Through: Caffeine, regular short breaks for walking, and careful lighting in their work area assist them in staying awake during nighttime shifts. During days off, they focus on sleep catch-up.

ALSO READ: Best Lightweight Laptops for Working Professionals

5. Customer Service Representatives (Night Shifts)
Serving international clients often means working through the night in call centers or tech support roles. These workers face disrupted sleep and social isolation.

How They Survive: Healthy sleep routines on off-days, noise-cancelling devices for daytime sleep, and community support from colleagues in similar shifts.

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