Sleep-Scheduling Strategies in Hospital Shiftworkers.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Sleep Science
• Chronobiology

Background:

• Shiftwork is a significant cause of circadian disruption, leading to impaired performance, sleep disturbances, and adverse health outcomes.
• While work schedules are often inflexible, at-home sleep scheduling presents a modifiable intervention point, yet remains understudied.
• The adoption of multiple sleep-scheduling strategies and their application to both night and early day shifts require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between specific and multiple sleep-scheduling strategies and adaptation to shiftwork.
• To investigate the association of these strategies with on-shift sleepiness and individual characteristics.
• To understand how strategy selection varies by shift type and personal factors.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective online questionnaire was administered to 89 hospital staff working 12-h day and/or night shifts.
• The questionnaire included items from the Survey of Shiftworkers and specific questions on sleep-scheduling strategies.
• Reasons for strategy selection were also explored.

Main Results:

• Adaptation levels varied significantly by sleep-scheduling strategy, with 'Incomplete Shifter' strategies showing the least adaptation.
• For night shifts, 'Night Stay' and 'Switch Sleeper-N' strategies were associated with reduced mid-shift sleepiness.
• Many night workers employed multiple strategies, some of which restricted sleep, correlating with lower overall adaptation. Domestic considerations were the primary reason for strategy selection.

Conclusions:

• Sleep-scheduling strategies significantly influence adaptation to shiftwork and on-shift sleepiness.
• Circadian-informed interventions are needed to mitigate the negative effects of shiftwork on hospital staff.
• Future research should focus on optimizing sleep strategies and circadian interventions for this population.