(in German)

Background and Aim: Due to the increasing flexibilisation of the European labour market, new forms of atypical work organisation have been arising. Atypical employment may cause negative health effects similar to unemployment. Considering the health-promoting relevance of sleep for work productivity, we investigate if different forms of atypical employment are associated with difficulties falling and maintaining asleep among middle-aged male and female employees.

Methods: Data were retrieved from the 1st wave of the lidA study, a nation-wide survey among employees in Germany in 2011. According to the Integrated Employment Biography (IEB) of the Institute of Employment Research (IAB), participants were born in 1959 or 1965 and subject to mandatory social insurance contributions on 31.12.2009. Our analysis is based on 4 544 participants. Using logistic regression models separately for men and women, difficulties falling and maintaining asleep were modelled to depend on years mostly spent in full-time, part-time, in marginal employment or in unemployment during the period from 1999-2010 as well as on years in the current position, fixed-term employment contract, organisational restructuring and dismissals at time of the survey in 2011.

Results: Women (9%) were more affected by difficulties falling and maintaining asleep than men (5%). Among women, past years mostly spent in full-time, part-time, marginal employment or in unemployment were not associated with sleep disturbances. Men who had mostly worked part-time or unemployment were more likely to report difficulties falling and maintaining asleep. Likewise, in men a fixed-term contract was linked with a higher risk of sleep disturbances. In women, witnessed dismissal in the working environment was a significant influencing factor.

Conclusion: Atypical employment can be related to difficulties falling and maintaining asleep. In future research gender-specific reasons for atypical employment as well as adverse working conditions should be taken into account. Changes between different forms of atypical employment as well as cumulative measures of these employment exposures in employees’ biographies should be included in future studies.

The complete article can be purchased in German at the website of the Journal "Das Gesundheitswesen", 77(4), pp. e77-e84: "Effects of Atypical Employment on Difficulties in Falling Asleep and Maintaining Sleep - Gender Differences in the lidA Study" (charges may apply).