Effects of co-sleeping with a shift worker on sleep, mood and cognition

Although the negative effects of shift work on workers' sleep and mood are well-known, the effects of shift work on their sleep partners' sleep and mood have rarely been investigated. The current study explored the effects of co-sleeping with a shift worker (SW) on the partner's subjective sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, depressive symptoms, and cognitive disturbances.

Online sleep and work-environment self-report questionnaires (e.g., including the presence of co-sleepers, work schedules of the co-sleepers, and their work schedules) were administered. The questionnaires also included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ), and the short-term Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale (CES-D). Participants consisted of co-sleepers of SWs (n = 657), co-sleepers of non-SWs (n = 2186), and solo sleepers (n = 2432).

Significant between-group differences in the PSQI, ESS, CFQ, and CES-D were observed after controlling for age, gender, work shift, and parenting (p < 0.001). Co-sleepers of SWs showed higher PSQI, ESS, CFQ, and CES-D scores than co-sleepers of non-SWs and solo sleepers. Solo sleepers reported significantly higher PSQI and CES-D scores than co-sleepers of non-SWs. The PSQI, ESS, CFQ, and CES-D scores were significantly correlated in all groups. The association between the ESS and PSQI was stronger in co-sleepers of SWs than in solo sleepers. The association between the ESS and CES-D was stronger in co-sleepers of SWs than in solo sleepers.

Co-sleeping with SWs is associated with poor sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, depressive symptoms, and cognitive disturbances in the partner.