Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 1, 2025

Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments
Published on: August 8, 2019
Effects of chronotype on sleep, mood and cardiovascular circadian rhythms in rotating night shift medical workers
Jinzhen Jiang1,2, Guohua Chen1, Xinhua Song1,2
1Department of Neurology, Wuhan No.1 Hospital, Wuhan, 430022, People's Republic of China.
Purpose:
Whether chronotype affects the health outcomes of night shift work populations is unknown. This study aimed to assess the influence of different chronotypes in the rotating night shift population on sleep status, mood, blood pressure (BP), and heart rate variability (HRV), as well as the circadian rhythm of BP and HRV.
Methods:
A total of 208 rotating night shift workers were included. All participants completed structured questionnaires to assess chronotype, mood and sleep status. During their daily lives outside of the night shift, they underwent 24-hour Holter electrocardiogram monitoring and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Day-time and night-time BP and BP dipping were obtained. Day-time and night-time HRV values (SDNN, RMSSD, LF, HF, LF nu, SD1, SD2 and SD2/SD1) were calculated and fitted to the cosine period curve. Three circandian parameters (mesor, amplitude and acrophase) were extracted to quantify the circadian rhythm of the HRV indices.
Results:
Among all three groups, E-type showed more fatigue and sleepiness. In addition, E-type showed blunted diastolic BP dipping. Notably, E-type showed association with higher RMSSD, LF, HF and SD1 in the night time, and higher mesors of RMSSD and LF and amplitude of SD2/SD1 in circadian analysis.
Conclusion:
Chronotype is a factor affecting fatigue, sleepiness and cardiovascular circadian rhythms of rotating night shift workers. Chronotype should be taken into consideration for managing night-shift rotation to promote occupational health.
Related Concept Videos
Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
Management of Insomnia
Insufficient Sleep and Sleep Deprivation
Sleep deprivation is a more severe form of sleep loss...
Sleep-Wake Cycles
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:
Understanding Sleep
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
Insomnia
Multiple factors contribute...

