Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity Offers Free Sleep Support

TODAY IS World Sleep Day and the Lighthouse Construction Industry is partnering with Sleepstation to offer free access to sleep support for anyone in construction suffering from insomnia or poor sleep.

Accessed through the Construction Industry Helpline App, Sleepstation is NHS-approved and aimed at improving support for insomnia and poor sleep.

Sleep Support

A good night’s sleep helps people deal with stress, improves resilience and optimises the immune system. However, the charity says the very nature of the work in construction lends itself to poor sleep quality and quantity, and the issue affects all – from site operatives to management.

Key Sleep Facts in Construction

• Over 80%of construction workers in the UK are not getting enough sleep.
• The construction industry has one of the highestrates of psychosocial health problems, including fatigue and burnout.
• The UK construction industry ranks thirdfor 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 to address the issues identified and there can be significant improvement in just four sessions.  It has also been shown to be far more effective than pharmaceutical interventions.

Sleepstation Offers

• An understanding of what is normal and what constitutes sleep deprivation
• A personal sleep assessment and expert analysis
• Confidential advice and reports
• Support from an expert team who offer personal advice.

Sarah Bolton, Director of Charitable Services for the charity said, “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”.

Wellbeing Support

Sleepstation complements the wellbeing support already available through the Lighthouse charity’s free to download self support app which offers self assessment tools, coping strategies and referral pathways to access expert advice and support. It also ensures that users are signposted to local support services as well as national help centres.

See more information about Sleepstation.

See more information about any of these free services for the construction industry and their families.

Key support areas of the helpline app include:

• • Emotional Wellbeing: covering anxiety, depression, anger, suicidal thoughts, sleep and building resilience
  • Physical Wellbeing: covering aches and pains, nutrition, weight management cancer, alcohol and drug addiction.
  • Financial Wellbeing: covering budgeting, debt management, tax and legal advice, retirement planning and emergency financial aid.

>>Read more about the Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity in the news