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Updated: Jun 14, 2025
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Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments
Published on: August 8, 2019
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Daily variation in sleepiness among firefighters while working the 24/48 and 48/96 shift schedules
Joel M Billings1, Sara A Jahnke2, Christopher K Haddock2
1Department of Security and Emergency Services, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, United States.
Safety Science
|August 29, 2024
Summary
Firefighters experience increased sleepiness when they get less sleep, particularly after shifts. Insufficient sleep before and after shifts impacts firefighter alertness and safety.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Sleep Science
- Emergency Services Research
Background:
- Firefighters work demanding shift schedules (e.g., 24/48, 48/96) that can disrupt sleep.
- Assessing the impact of sleep duration on daily sleepiness is crucial for firefighter safety and performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the daily association between total sleep time (TST) and afternoon sleep propensity in firefighters.
- To compare these relationships across different fire department shift schedules.
Main Methods:
- Utilized actigraphy to measure daily TST in 22 firefighters on a 24/48 schedule and 20 on a 48/96 schedule.
- Assessed daily afternoon sleep propensity using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).
Main Results:
- Statistically significant differences in daily sleep propensity were found within each shift schedule.
- Moderate correlations indicated that reduced prior-night TST was linked to increased next-day afternoon sleep propensity.
Conclusions:
- Firefighters with less sleep exhibited higher sleep propensity the following day.
- The study suggests firefighters may start and end shifts with insufficient sleep, leading to heightened sleepiness.
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