Free support is available for construction sector workers suffering from insomnia or poor sleep health, thanks to a charity partnership with Sleepstation, a sleep improvement programme. The support was announced on World Sleep Day (Friday 18 March) by the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity.
Accessible through the Construction Industry Helpline App, Sleepstation is an NHS-approved service aimed at improving sleep health. Combatting the postcode lottery that affects whether users can easily access Sleepstation services free of charge, the charity is offering the clinically proven sleep improvement programme for free, to help address poor sleep within the industry.
Sarah Bolton, the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity’s director of charitable services, said: “We launched Sleepstation in autumn of last year, and it has been very successful. But we really want to ensure that everyone in construction knows about and has free and easy access to this fantastic resource.
“We already know that construction workers work in an environment that can be incredibly stressful and emotionally challenging. Add to that the complications of irregular shift patterns, long working hours, early starts and demanding workloads, and it’s not difficult to see why our construction workforce are at such high risk of sleep fatigue.
“With our app’s latest addition, within a few moments, users can access the highest level of support, without lengthy waiting times to get an appointment with their GP, or a GP referral. It’s really that simple.”
Sector-specific sleep facts:
• Over 80% of construction workers in the UK are not getting enough sleep.
• The construction industry has one of the highest rates of psychosocial health problems, including fatigue and burnout.
• The UK construction industry ranks third for the highest average hours worked per week.
• Only 14% of construction workers in the UK work fewer than 40 hours a week.
• 44% of construction workers in the UK travel around 2-3 hours a day to work and back.
Sleepstation looks at the underlying reasons why people are having problems, and has been proven to address even the most severe sleep issues. Dedicated support teams deliver a plan that can lead to significant improvement in just four sessions.
Sleepstation offers:
• An understanding of what is ‘normal’, and what constitutes sleep deprivation;
• A personal sleep assessment and expert analysis;
• Confidential advice and reports; and
• Support from an expert team, offering personal advice.
Sleepstation complements the variety of wellbeing support already available through the charity’s free-to-download self support app. The app offers self assessment tools, coping strategies and referral pathways to access expert advice and support. It also ensures that users are signposted to support services local to where they live as well as national help centres. For more information about Sleepstation visit constructionindustryhelpline.com/sleep.
If you need help or support now, or know someone that does, call the charity’s 24/7 Construction Industry Helpline on 0345 605 1956 (UK) or 1800 939 122, (ROI). Alternatively, download the complementary Self Support App or text HARDHAT to 85258 (UK) or 50808 (ROI). Further information about these free services are available at constructionindustryisithelpline.com.
