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| About 45.5% of workers in Japan sleep less than 6 hours per night. (Source: AP) |
The White Paper analyzing the situation of deaths and suicides related to overwork also said that in fiscal 2022, there were 710 suicide cases believed to be due to mental disorders due to overwork.
According to a survey conducted with 10,000 employed people, 45.4% said the ideal sleep time is from 7 to 8 hours, while 17.1% said they need more than 8 hours. In the White Paper approved by the Japanese Cabinet on October 13, 10% of respondents said they sleep less than 5 hours per night, 35.5% sleep 5-6 hours and 35.2% sleep 6-7 hours.
The survey also found that among workers who slept four and five hours less than they considered ideal, 27.4% and 38.5% respectively were said to be at risk of major depression or anxiety disorders. In fact, these people are at greater risk of mental health problems.
About 70% of people who reported getting the ideal amount of sleep were not at risk of depression or anxiety. While among those who slept 3 to 5 hours less than the ideal amount, only about 40% avoided this risk.
A Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry official said it is necessary to change the practice of long working hours and allow workers to get more sleep, so they can maintain a healthy mental state.
The survey was conducted after a 2021 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said that the average sleep time of Japanese people is 7 hours and 22 minutes, the shortest among the organization's 33 member countries, which have an average of 8 hours and 28 minutes.
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