Is Your Job Wrecking Your Sleep?

Feeling tired, sore, and drained? 


Whether you spend your day behind a screen or on your feet, your job can wear you down.


Desk workers spend hours sitting: locking their body into bad postures that create tension. 


Manual laborers lift heavy objects and repeat motions over long hours, straining muscles and connective tissues.


No matter the work you do, you’re experiencing physical and mental stress that negatively affects your sleep. 

How do desk jobs affect your sleep?

The longer you sit, the more you slip into poor posture. Your muscles tighten. Your stress levels creep up. 

When you finally lie down to sleep at the end of a long day, your body reminds you of everything it’s been holding onto.

What’s keeping desk workers up?

  • Back and Neck Pain: Discomfort from tight muscles and stiff joints makes it tough to find a comfortable sleep position

  • Tension Headaches: All-day strain on your neck muscles triggers headaches that don’t go away when you got to bed

  • Muscle Tension and Stiffness: Your body stays locked in “work mode,” making it hard to relax and fall asleep

You’re in the sleep-stress cycle.

Work stress doesn’t just disappear when you leave your desk. It follows you to bed. Our patients who work at a desk often have:

  • Trouble falling asleep: Your brain won’t shut off

  • Frequent wake-ups: Discomfort pulls you out of deep sleep

  • Less restorative sleep: Even after 7-8 hours, you wake up exhausted

How does manual labor affect sleep?

Long hours of lifting, carrying, and repetitive motion wear your body down. This repetitive stress creates tension that’s hard to let go of. 

When it’s time to rest, your body won’t let you. That’s a problem, because less sleep means more chances of injury:

Poor sleep makes you 1.62 times more likely to get hurt on the job. In fact, 13% of work injuries are linked to sleep problems.

What’s keeping manual laborers up?

  • Physical Strain and Pain: Sore muscles and aching joints make it tough to get comfortable, leading to frequent wake-ups and restless sleep

  • Fatigue That Won’t Quit: You’re exhausted, but pain and stress keep you tossing and turning instead of getting the deep sleep your body needs

  • Shift Work Disruptions: Late nights and early mornings throw off your natural sleep cycle, making it harder to fall—and stay—asleep

You’re in the sleep-strain cycle.

The harder you work, the more your body hurts. The more your body hurts, the worse you sleep. And the worse you sleep, the harder it is to recover and stay strong on the job.

How can the doctors at Cloud Peak help you sleep better?

  • Pain Relief: Reduced pain makes it easier to get comfortable and stay asleep

  • Muscle Relaxation: Loosens tension so your body can fully relax at night

  • Spinal Alignment: Corrects posture issues that cause nighttime discomfort

  • Pain Prevention: Keeps pain and stiffness from waking you up

  • Acupuncture: Reduces stress, balances hormones, and promotes relaxation for better sleep

  • Nutrition: We can discuss foods to add to your diet, foods to avoid, and supplements that may help manage work stress and promote better sleep 

  • Personalized Solutions: We can help you figure out what your exact work-related strains are

How do infrared saunas help with sleep?

An infrared sauna session helps: 

  • Balance your cortisol levels to reduce stress and promote relaxation

  • Trigger endorphin and serotonin release for reduced anxiety and a better mood before bed

  • Activate your parasympathetic nervous system to counteract stress and prepare the body for sleep

  • Regulate your body temperature to mimic the natural cooling process that signals bedtime

  • Help you fall asleep faster by reducing nighttime awakenings and improving sleep onset

  • Improve your sleep quality so you wake up feeling more rested

  • Relax sore muscles to ease tension and discomfort that disrupt sleep

  • Boost your circulation to reduce stiffness from long hours of sitting or physical work

  • Clear your mind by reducing stress and work-related worries that interfere with sleep


Ready to get better sleep?

Whether you put in long hours at a desk or doing physical labor, your body needs real rest.

Chiropractic care and infrared sauna therapy can help you get deep, restorative sleep.

Sleep is the foundation of everything you do. Call or text to schedule your appointment at our Worland or Thermopolis clinics. We'll help you get better sleep.

Sarah Radabaugh