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Tolerance to shift work-how does it relate to sleep and wakefulness?
John Axelsson1, Torbjörn Akerstedt, Göran Kecklund
1National Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Box 230, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. John.Axelsson@ipm.ki.se
International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
|November 12, 2003
Summary
Shift work dissatisfaction is linked to increased sleepiness and perceived insufficient sleep, particularly after night shifts. This suggests a higher sensitivity to sleep disruption among dissatisfied workers.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Sleep Medicine
- Chronobiology
Background:
- Shift work is prevalent, yet individual tolerance varies significantly.
- Intolerance to shift work often leads to dissatisfaction with work schedules.
- Understanding the physiological basis of this dissatisfaction is crucial for worker well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between shift work schedule satisfaction and daily patterns of sleep and sleepiness.
- To compare sleep and sleepiness profiles between satisfied and dissatisfied shift workers.
Main Methods:
- A study involving 56 shift workers (36 male, 20 female) categorized by satisfaction with their shift schedule.
- Monitoring sleep and sleepiness across a shift cycle including "triads" of night, afternoon, and morning shifts with short recovery periods.
Main Results:
- Sleep duration was reduced after night (4.8h) and afternoon (5.4h) shifts.
- Increased sleepiness was observed during all shifts, especially night shifts.
- Dissatisfied workers reported higher sleepiness, perceived insufficient sleep, and experienced more performance lapses, particularly after night shifts.
Conclusions:
- Shift schedule satisfaction appears to correlate with an individual's ability to cope with shift work demands.
- Dissatisfied workers may exhibit heightened sensitivity to curtailed and displaced sleep, leading to increased sleep/wake problems.