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Is the poor sleep of shift workers a disorder?
1Sleep Clinic, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115.
The American Journal of Psychiatry
|November 1, 1991
Summary
Shift work significantly impacts sleep quality and worker tolerance, leading to common sleep disturbances. Further research is needed to determine if these sleep issues constitute a clinical disorder.
Area of Science:
- Sleep Medicine
- Occupational Health
Background:
- Shift work is increasingly recognized in sleep disorder classifications.
- Understanding the effects of non-standard work schedules on sleep is crucial.
Observation:
- Shift work presents wide variations in schedules, sleep quality, and individual tolerance.
- Night-shift sleepiness is prevalent among shift workers.
- Clinical presentations of shift work-related sleep issues are rare and varied.
Findings:
- Shift work likely influences drug use, overall health, and family dynamics.
- The United States lacks legal restrictions on shift work, unlike other nations.
- Sleep disturbances due to shift work are common but often empirically treated.
Implications:
- Sleep altered by shift work may represent non-physiological circadian misalignment.
- Further investigation into the health consequences of shift work sleep is warranted.
- The classification of shift work sleep as a 'disorder' versus a 'problem' requires consideration.