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Sleep hygiene in shift workers: A systematic literature review
Alexandra E Shriane1, Sally A Ferguson1, Sarah M Jay1
1Appleton Institute, School of Health, Medical and Applied Sciences, Central Queensland University, Wayville, Adelaide, South Australia, 5034, Australia.
Sleep Medicine Reviews
|June 28, 2020
Summary
Shift workers use fatigue management strategies like caffeine and napping, which conflict with traditional sleep hygiene advice. New guidelines are needed for this population to improve sleep health.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Sleep Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Shift work is prevalent due to '24/7' service demands, leading to non-traditional sleep patterns.
- While shift worker sleep is studied, sleep hygiene in this group remains under-researched.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review shift worker engagement with sleep hygiene practices.
- To identify discrepancies between shift worker behaviors and current sleep hygiene recommendations.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review was conducted using Sage, ScienceDirect, and Scopus databases.
- Search terms included 'shift work,' 'sleep hygiene,' 'sleep routine,' and 'sleep habit.'
- Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria for the review.
Main Results:
- Shift workers commonly consume caffeine and nap during the day, aligning with fatigue management but contradicting sleep hygiene advice.
- Practices to optimize the bedroom environment for sleep were reported.
- Limited research explored diet, exercise, alcohol, and nicotine from a sleep hygiene perspective.
Conclusions:
- Shift workers' current practices align with fatigue management but not standard sleep hygiene.
- Further research is needed to assess the applicability of existing sleep hygiene guidelines to shift workers.
- Development of shift work-specific sleep hygiene guidelines and interventions is recommended for this vulnerable population.
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