Improvement of Presenteeism after Treatment of Sleep Disorders in a Tertiary Sleep Center

Patients with sleep disorders who experience excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) often exhibit reduced work productivity. However, studies investigating whether treatment for sleep disorders improves productivity remain limited. This study aimed to examine the impact of sleep disorder treatment on work productivity, particularly in relation to health-related work limitations, among patients visiting a tertiary sleep center.

Methods

Participants were recruited from among patients who had their first consultation at a university-affiliated tertiary sleep center in Japan between 2017 and 2018. A total of 85 patients underwent baseline evaluation using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Short Form-8 (SF-8), and Work Limitations Questionnaire (WLQ). Thirty-eight participants completed a follow-up evaluation, of whom 23 had complete WLQ data at both time points.

Results

At baseline, participants with EDS (ESS ≥ 11) showed significantly lower health-related quality of life, increased sleep disturbances, and reduced work productivity compared with those without EDS. In the longitudinal analysis, all four WLQ subscales (time management, physical demands, mental-interpersonal demands, and output demands) significantly improved after sleep disorder treatment. Among participants with EDS, significant improvements were observed in time management, physical demands, and output demands.

Conclusions

Work productivity limitations, as measured by the WLQ, showed improvement following sleep disorder treatment. These findings suggest a potential association between sleep disorder treatment and workplace productivity outcomes. Future studies should further investigate the long-term occupational impact of sleep disorder management.