(Yawn) Lawyers Are the Most Sleep-Deprived
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“Good night my someone, goodnight, my lawyer.” Though not quite the lyrics from “The Music Man,” perhaps Marian was onto something. According to Donalee Moulton in The Lawyers Weekly, lawyers are among the most sleep-deprived of all workers.
“For lawyers, insomnia is often caused by an inability to shut down our brains,” Cheryl Canning, a partner at a litigation firm in Canada, told Moulton. “We have so many pressures and deadlines, both in the office and with family,” she said. And it’s those pressures that can stack the odds against getting a good night’s rest.
However, the lack of z’s isn’t actually helping attorneys be more productive. “Sleep research has also documented that a lack of sleep makes individuals more likely to experience a double whammy of intellectual missteps and physical injury,” says Moulton. She notes a recent study found people with sleep problems were 1.62 times more likely to be injured at work. But aside from the physical detriments, sleeplessness also impairs one’s ability to think clearly, concentrate and problem solve—all integral in the day-to-day work of legal practice.
Read original articleTags: Cheryl Canning, Donalee Moulton, lack of sleep
