Evaluation of the effects of shift work on parasomnia prevalence

Shift work is increasingly common in industrialized countries but is associated with numerous health problems, especially sleep disorders. This study compared the frequency of NREM (confusional arousal, sleep terrors, sleepwalking, sleep-related eating disorder), REM parasomnias (REM sleep behavior disorder, nightmare disorder), and isolated symptoms/normal variants (sleeptalking) between shift workers and daytime workers. A total of 1473 participants in 3 different professional groups and working different shift schedules (daytime, night, or rotating shifts) were included. Participants completed a questionnaire consisting of 132 questions about parasomnia, occupational stress, history of occupational and traffic accidents, depression, and other sleep disorders. The lifetime parasomnia prevalence was 43.7% and the 1-year parasomnia prevalence was 24.4% overall. The 1-year parasomnia prevalence was 27.5% among shift workers and 13% among daytime workers. This rate was highest among rotating shift workers (27.9%), followed by night shift workers (21.2%), and lowest in daytime workers (13%) (P < .001). The most common parasomnias reported were sleep terrors, confusional arousals, and sleeptalking. Parasomnia prevalence rates among workers with and without a history of occupational accidents were 43.7% and 24.2%, while those of workers with and without a history of car accidents were 47.4% and 23.8%, respectively (P < .001). Shift work was associated with higher parasomnia prevalence. Working rotating shifts in particular was an independent risk factor for parasomnia. The parasomnias most frequently associated with shift work were confusional arousal, sleeptalking, and sleep terrors. It should be kept in mind that higher parasomnia rates may increase the risk of occupational and traffic accidents in this population.