Call Schedule and Sleep Patterns of Urology Residents Following the 2011 ACGME Reforms

In response to the 2011 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education duty hour restrictions, many residency programs adopted a night float system. Due to concerns regarding the effects of night float on sleep and subsequently on patient care, we examined sleep patterns of residents on different call schedules.

Urology residents assigned to day shift (Monday-Friday, 6am-6pm), night float (Sunday-Friday, 6pm-6am) or 24-hour home call and attending physicians were monitored for two-week periods using actigraphy bands. Total sleep time, light versus deep sleep time, sleep latency and number of sleep disruptions were measured. Comparative statistics and logistic regression were used to compare call systems and to determine predictors of sleep metrics.

When comparing day shift, night float, and 24-hour home call, the only significant difference was in sleep latency. All sleep variables except sleep latency were significantly different among residents of various levels (junior, senior, research year). Compared to residents, attendings had shorter sleep latency and were woken less frequently. Being a research year resident was the only significant univariate predictor of total sleep. Age and being a research year resident were significant univariate predictors of sleep latency.

This pilot study demonstrates the feasibility of actigraphy in measuring sleep patterns of urology house officers. It also suggests that night float does not significantly impact total sleep or quality of sleep. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and to determine the effects of night float rotations on resident quality of life and patient safety.