Association Between Telecommuting Preference-frequency mismatch and Insomnia among Japanese Workers in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Prospective Cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: We hypothesized that telecommuting's impact on sleep varied based on preference-frequency mismatch. Here, we evaluated this relationship in a large cohort of Japanese workers.

METHODS: We collected data from 33,302 Japanese workers through an online survey, and analyzed participant preferences and frequency of telecommuting in 9,425 individuals who responded to a follow-up survey. We evaluated sleep using the Athens Insomnia Scale, and estimated odds ratios of insomnia using multilevel logistic regression.

RESULTS: Workers preferring telecommuting had a higher risk of insomnia as telecommuting frequency decreased. OR for insomnia was 1.87 (p < 0.001) in those who telecommuted less than once per week.

CONCLUSION: Telecommuting's impact on workers' sleep depends on preference mismatch, with a higher risk of insomnia among those who prefer telecommuting but are unable to utilize it.