Remember the Drive Home? An Assessment of Emergency Providers' Sleep Deficit

Sleep deprivation decreases work performance and predisposes workers to deleterious health outcomes. We sought to evaluate sleep hygiene and fatigue among emergency physicians.

In March-June 2016, physicians and residents at an academic emergency medicine program were invited to complete a survey evaluating sleep and alertness.

Six attending physicians and 26 residents completed the survey. Among six personal priorities, sleep ranked fourth behind family, work, and leisure. 75% stated poor sleep impedes effectiveness as a physician while 53% noted difficulty falling asleep before a night shift. In the last three months, 39% of subjects forgot driving home from a shift, and 34% had fallen asleep while driving. 34% used medications to assist with sleep (including melatonin (36%), alcohol (27%), and prescription drugs (9%)). Most providers attested to phone (88%) and television exposure (69%) immediately prior to goal sleep onset.

Despite sleep being identified as a priority among EM physicians, deleterious habits remain. Poor sleep affects perceived effectiveness and personal safety, as evidenced by a significant portion of providers falling asleep on the commute home. Night shift is the chief obstacle to optimal sleep hygiene.