Tell us how much sleep you get each night by voting on Twitter.
By Haley Bilokraly
Farms.com Intern
Sleep is an important safety tool on the farm, but it is likely one of the most overlooked.
With long work hours and constant physical demands, daily life on a farm is already dangerous. Adding fatigue to the mix of hazards only increases a farmer’s risk of injury and has become the cause of many avoidable incidents.
It is recommended that adults regularly sleep for 7 hours or more each night. This time of sleep is crucial for body regulation, lowering the risks of serious health problems such as heart disease or diabetes, reducing stress, and keeping the ability to think and act clearly.
Although many farmers know the benefits of a good night’s sleep, it doesn’t always impact their sleep schedule. This is especially true when there are external circumstances influencing the number of hours they can get in bed. A few factors that might inhibit sleep include stress or anxiety, health conditions, medications, caffeine, alcohol or drugs, untreated sleep disorders, and undoubtedly busy season on the farm.
Throughout demanding time periods, such as harvest or calving, it is common for farmers to ignore their need to sleep so they can keep working. Once this becomes a pattern, exhaustion and drowsiness start to affect a farmer’s ability to be productive and safe.
During Canadian Agricultural Safety Week 2023, happening from March 13 to March 19, we want to bring awareness to the importance of sleep for a farmer – but first - we are looking to hear from you! To include real statistics in an upcoming article regarding farmer safety and sleep, we are asking our readers if you get enough sleep each night.
Click one of the links below to vote on our Twitter poll!
Ontario Farmers: https://twitter.com/OntAg/status/1632774096365797376
Western Canada Farmers: https://twitter.com/FarmsPrairies/status/1632774729332412416