Adaptive sleep behaviours and shift work tolerance during the transition to shift work.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Sleep Medicine
• Emergency Medical Services

Background:

• Paramedics face demanding shift work schedules.
• Early career adaptation to shift work is crucial for long-term health and performance.
• Understanding sleep behavior's role in shift work tolerance is vital for this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how recruit paramedics' sleep behaviors change during their first 12 months of shift work.
• To identify specific sleep behaviors associated with better shift work tolerance (SWT) after 12 months.

Main Methods:

• 105 recruit paramedics were monitored for 12 months.
• Sleep and shift patterns were tracked using diaries and actigraphy.
• Questionnaires assessed mental health, sleep quality, and SWT.

Main Results:

• Sleep opportunity increased, while sleep regularity decreased in the first 12 months.
• No significant changes in sleep opportunity or regularity were observed between 6 and 12 months.
• Reduced sleep regularity and prioritizing major sleep over naps at 6 months predicted higher SWT at 12 months.

Conclusions:

• Shift work tolerance (SWT) levels are established early in paramedic careers.
• Symptoms of depression, anxiety, and insomnia significantly impact SWT.
• Optimizing sleep regularity and prioritizing longer sleep periods may enhance paramedics' ability to tolerate shift work.