A Longer Commute — Not Just a Longer Work Day — Increases Risk for Insomnia

If you’ve ever dozed off on the train home from work, you’ll get this in your tired bones. It turns out that it isn’t just long workdays causing sleep troubles, but that extra long commute as well. A study just released in Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation concluded that working over 52 hours and having a commute over two hours, or working 41-52 hours with that same commute, resulted in higher insomnia prevalence. (1) The same was true for shift workers with longer commutes. This points to the need for people struggling with sleep to look at multiple work-related factors in their schedules, not just the work day.

The study first appeared in Sleep Health and examined differences between commute times and hours worked per week of more than 50,000 individuals, ages 15 to over 60. Results were divided into five key age groups, including 15-25, 26-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60+.

Key findings found that when compared to individuals who worked 35-40 hours per week and commuted less than 60 minutes each day, employees with long working hours or shift work (classified as 52+ hours each week) and commuted more than 120 minutes per day, had a higher risk of insomnia or insomnia symptoms. The study also found that as commute time and working hours increased, the risk of insomnia also increased.

This isn’t the first time researchers have looked into the issue with commuting. A previous study in 2009 (which the new study also cited) found that stress levels are increased for commuters, which can impact sleep quality. (2) A 2021 review found a higher prevalence of insomnia amongst shift workers when compared to other populations. (3)

Other research seeks to answer the “why.” (4) In short, added stress leads to being less physically active, increasing cortisol levels that could cause poor sleep. In addition, some researchers point to less family time and relaxing time, impacting your emotional health, which is connected to sleep. So, it’s not so much the commute itself, as additional stressors that take up your time, energy, resources, and more. The consequences have a way of showing up at night.

There are a few things stressed-out workers and long commuters can do to help alleviate sleep issues overall, including:

Get more natural daylight in during the day — could part of your commute involve a walk, for example?
Prioritize bedtime, because you can’t “make up sleep” just on the weekends, research shows
If you have a choice, opt for the day shift over night, as it can have serious impacts on your sleep and health. But if you don’t have a choice, set some intentional practices to optimize sleep health even with the night shift schedule.

Finally, see if a carpool buddy or group transit options means you can catch a nap on that long commute!

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Sources

1. Hoje Ryu, MD; Suhwan Ju; Hye-Eun Lee; Seong-Sik Cho, MD, PhD; “Commuting time, working time, and their link to insomnia symptoms among Korean employees: A cross-sectional study,” Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation; https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Seong-Sik-Cho/publication/381462600_Commuting_time_working_time_and_their_link_to_insomnia_symptoms_among_Korean_employees_A_cross-sectional_study/links/66c7ca2d75613475fe73afed/Commuting-time-working-time-and-their-link-to-insomnia-symptoms-among-Korean-employees-A-cross-sectional-study.pdf; May 14, 2024.

2. Gottholmseder G, Nowotny K, Pruckner GJ, Theurl E. Stress perception and commuting. Health Econ. 2009 May;18(5):559-76. doi: 10.1002/hec.1389. PMID: 18709637.

3. Brito RS, Dias C, Afonso Filho A, Salles C. Prevalence of insomnia in shift workers: a systematic review. Sleep Sci. 2021 Jan-Mar;14(1):47-54. doi: 10.5935/1984-0063.20190150. PMID: 34104337; PMCID: PMC8157778.

4. Petrov ME, Weng J, Reid KJ, Wang R, Ramos AR, Wallace DM, Alcantara C, Cai J, Perreira K, Espinoza Giacinto RA, Zee PC, Sotres-Alvarez D, Patel SR. Commuting and Sleep: Results From the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sueño Ancillary Study. Am J Prev Med. 2018 Mar;54(3):e49-e57. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2017.11.006. Epub 2018 Jan 12. PMID: 29338957; PMCID: PMC5818327.

Alexandra Frost

Alexandra Frost is a Cincinnati-based freelance journalist, content marketing writer, copywriter, and editor focusing on health and wellness, parenting, real estate, business, education, and lifestyle. Away from the keyboard, Alex is also mom to her four sons under age 7, who keep things chaotic, fun, and interesting. For over a decade she has been helping publications and companies connect with readers and bring high-quality information and research to them in a relatable voice. She has been published in the Washington Post, Huffington Post, Glamour, Shape, Today's Parent, Reader's Digest, Parents, Women's Health, and Insider.