Virtual Meeting Sleepiness: Unraveling Mental Underload

According to new research, sleepiness during virtual meetings is induced by mental underload and boredom. Previous research believed that exhaustion from virtual meetings is caused by mental overload, but new research from Aalto University suggests that sleepiness during virtual meetings may be caused by mental underload and boredom.

‘I expected to find that people get stressed in remote meetings. But the result was the opposite – especially those who were not engaged in their work quickly became drowsy during remote meetings,’ says Assistant Professor Niina Nurmi, who led the study.

The researchers examined distinct forms of fatigue sensations among 44 knowledge workers across nearly 400 meetings by measuring heart rate variability during virtual and face-to-face meetings. Aalto researchers worked with academics at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health to study stress and recuperation using heart rate monitors. The study was published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health Psychology.

‘We combined physiological methods with ethnographic research. We shadowed each subject for two workdays, recording all events with time stamps, to find out the sources of human physiological responses,’ Nurmi says.

A questionnaire was also included in the study to assess people’s overall attitudes and work involvement.

‘The format of a meeting had little effect on people who were highly engaged and enthusiastic about their work. They were able to stay active even during virtual meetings. On the other hand, workers whose work engagement was low and who were not very enthusiastic about their work found virtual meetings very tiring.’

It’s easier to maintain focus in face-to-face meetings than virtual ones, as the latter have limited cognitive cues and sensory input. ‘Especially when cameras are off, the participant is left under-stimulated and may start to compensate by multitasking,’ Nurmi explains.

Although adequate brain stimulation is generally desirable, multitasking during virtual meetings is troublesome. During a virtual meeting, only fully automated duties, such as strolling, may be performed properly.

‘Walking and other automated activities can boost your energy levels and help you to concentrate on the meeting. But if you’re trying to focus on two things that require cognitive attention simultaneously, you can’t hear if something important is happening in the meeting. Alternatively, you have to constantly switch between tasks. It’s really taxing for the brain.’

Niina Nurmi, Assistant Professor