The credit crunch is taking its toll in more ways than one, with estate agents topping a list of the most sleep deprived professions.

A study of 4,000 British workers undertaken by Travelodge found that estate agents got less than six hours sleep a night – two hours less than the recommended daily sleep quota.

Leigh McCarron, Travelodge’s Director of sleep said: “It is no surprise that the professions in the industries worst hit by the credit crunch come top of the charts. We all know that money worries and job security are key drivers of stress which in turn, leads to significant sleep loss.”

It would seem the stress of the current market slump and money worries on the whole were contributing to sleep deprivation right across the UK workforce, according to the survey.

After estate agents, lorry and taxi drivers were also missing out on a good nights’ sleep, with bankers coming in third at just six hours and 23 minutes of sleep per night.

Of those surveyed, 78 per cent said they would love to get more sleep if they had the time and 52 per cent of workers have taken time off work or spent their weekends catching up on sleep.

“Don’t let the credit crunch keep you awake, it’s a vicious circle. Although you may fret about your job and have financial worries; you cannot afford to sacrifice your sleep quota. Losing valuable hours of sleep will certainly impact upon your well being and productivity,” Mr McCarron said.