A new study looking into the relationship between working lives and dreams has revealed that marketing professionals suffer from frequent work-related dreams. There could be underlying professional reasons as to why this particular occupational area appears to suffer most greatly.
According to new data from the company Neville Johnson, professionals in sales, marketing and media rank 11th overall for experiencing work dreams. The research also reveals that they rank second for experiencing anxiety-filled dreams, with 39 percent of those asked admitting to anxious dreams being a problem for them.
The new study looking into the U.K.’s most common work related dreams has revealed the industries that experience the most stressful and anxiety filled dreams. Speaking to 2,205 UK professionals, the survey discovered that around eight in 10 (78 percent) people have dreamt about work, with half of them admitting it is at least a monthly occurrence.
These data reveals
- Professionals in HR, Sales & Marketing and Education experience frequent stressful work dreams the most out of those surveyed.
- 38% of those questioned admitted they are less productive at work after a night of stressful work dreams, with a further 31 percent saying that they carry the stress with them into work.
- Workers in the Legal sector suffer the most from imposter syndrome, along with Finance and HR, suggesting imposter syndrome is more common amongst higher wage brackets.
Neville Johnson also collaborated with a sleep expert, to provide analysis for the most commonly occurring dreams, and to give advice for those seeking a better night’s sleep.
According to the research, the most anxious dreamers are as follows:
| Profession | Percentage of workers who frequently have stressful work dreams |
| 1. HR | 46% |
| 2. Sales, Media & Marketing | 39% |
| 3. Education | 37% |
| 4. Finance | 35% |
| 5. Healthcare | 30% |
The data suggested that workers who experience stressful dreams carry the burden with them into work the following day, with 38 percent admitting they are less productive at work. A further 31 percent said that they carry the stress into the working day, and 30 percent stated they feel less confident in the workplace after having a work-related nightmare. A quarter of people said that they find it harder to switch on at work following a night disturbed by work dreams.
Workers in the legal profession were revealed to dream most about imposter syndrome, followed by workers in Finance and HR. The data also suggested that imposter syndrome is more common amongst higher wage brackets, suggesting that people who earn more are more susceptible to feeling this way. However, the study also showed that imposter syndrome dreams peak at both Graduate and Director level, meaning it can strike someone no matter their level in a company.
