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Do maritime crew members have sleep disturbances?
H D Howarth1, J H Pratt, D I Tepas
1Ergonomics Laboratory, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269-1020, USA.
Summary
Maritime crew members experience shorter sleep on duty. While sleep problems differ between groups, they don't significantly correlate with sleep length, cautioning against labeling shift workers with sleep disorders.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Sleep Medicine
- Maritime Studies
Background:
- Shift work is common in maritime industries.
- Understanding sleep patterns in seafarers is crucial for well-being.
- Previous research suggests shift work impacts sleep duration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate differences in self-reported sleep length and problems among maritime crew.
- To analyze on-duty versus off-duty sleep variables.
- To assess the relationship between sleep disturbance and sleep duration in this population.
Main Methods:
- Survey data from two maritime crew samples.
- Statistical analysis of on- and off-duty sleep variables.
- Factor analysis to create a composite Sleep Disturbance Scale.
Main Results:
- On-duty sleep was significantly shorter than off-duty sleep for both groups.
- Significant differences were found in responses to sleep problem items between the two groups.
- No significant correlation was found between the composite Sleep Disturbance Scale and sleep length.
Conclusions:
- Shift work demonstrably reduces sleep length on workdays for maritime crew.
- Caution is advised when diagnosing "disturbed sleep" or "sleep disorders" in shift workers based solely on reported issues.
- Further research may be needed to understand the nuances of sleep disturbances in occupational settings.