Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Shift work and inter-individual differences in sleep and sleepiness.

Hans P A Van Dongen1

  • 1Sleep and Performance Research Center, Washington State University-Spokane, Spokane, Washington 99210-1495, USA. hvd@wsu.edu

Chronobiology International
|December 28, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Individual differences in shift work tolerance are linked to neurobiological factors regulating sleep and wakefulness. Understanding these variations is key to preventing cognitive impairment and errors caused by sleep loss in shift workers.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Polygenic risk for schizophrenia is associated with psychomotor vigilance performance impairment during sleep deprivation in women.

Translational psychiatry·2026
Same author

Antidepressant Responsiveness to Sleep Deprivation Is Not a Fixed Phenotypic Trait.

Journal of sleep research·2026
Same author

Europium nanoparticle label/lateral flow test strip integrated with a 3D-printed fluorescence smartphone reader for detection of melatonin in human blood.

Nanoscale horizons·2026
Same author

Cognitive-affective disengagement: 24h rhythm in insomniacs versus healthy good sleepers.

Sleep medicine·2025
Same author

<i>ARC</i> genotype modulates slow wave sleep and spectral power in the sleep EEG after total sleep deprivation.

Sleep advances : a journal of the Sleep Research Society·2025
Same author

Foreword: Festschrift in honor of JM Krueger's research.

Neurobiology of sleep and circadian rhythms·2025

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sleep Medicine
  • Occupational Health

Background:

  • Shift work disrupts endogenous sleep-wake regulation, leading to temporal misalignment.
  • External factors influencing alertness and sleep are traditionally studied, but neurobiological factors are increasingly recognized.
  • Individual differences in vulnerability to cognitive deficits from sleep loss are substantial and appear to be a stable trait.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of neurobiological factors in inter-individual differences in shift work tolerance.
  • To explore the relationship between sleep/wake regulatory processes and cognitive performance under shift work conditions.
  • To identify potential mechanisms underlying varying susceptibility to sleep loss-induced impairment.

Main Methods:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of endogenous sleep-wake regulatory processes (homeostatic and circadian).
  • Assessment of cognitive performance and sleepiness levels in individuals undergoing shift work simulations.
  • Examination of inter-individual variability in response to sleep deprivation.

    • Main Results:

    • Significant inter-individual differences exist in vulnerability to cognitive deficits caused by sleep loss.
    • Self-reported sleepiness does not reliably predict objective performance impairment.
    • These performance variations persist even in highly selected populations, like jet fighter pilots.

    Conclusions:

    • Neurobiological factors significantly contribute to individual differences in shift work tolerance.
    • Understanding these trait-like variations is crucial for anticipating and preventing cognitive impairment in shift workers.
    • This research highlights the need for personalized approaches to manage shift work's impact on performance and safety.