Sleep Habits and Disturbances in Healthcare Workers: A Cross-Sectional Survey in French Public Hospitals

To describe the sleep habits (bedtime hours, waking hours, sleep duration) and to assess the prevalence of sleep disturbances (acute and chronic insomnia, insufficient sleep, perceived sleep debt) among French healthcare workers.

Nurses and assistant nurses working in public hospitals from the Loire department at different work schedules (2x12h, 2x8h, fixed daytime, fixed nighttime) were asked about their socioprofessional and demographic information, their sleep habits and disturbances during night shifts, and the acceptability of a 20-min nap opportunity.

A total of 297 healthcare workers completed the survey with 76% reporting a sleep debt with a lower prevalence for fixed nighttime workers (62%) and a higher prevalence for 2x12 h (84%) workers. The prevalence of acute insomnia was 76% with a significant difference between fixed nighttime (60%) and 2x12 h (82%); whereas the prevalence of chronic insomnia was 35% without any significant difference between working schedules. Moreover, 18% of healthcare workers reported excessive daytime sleepiness, while 13% admitted to using sleep medication at least once a week.

French healthcare workers reported poor sleep quality with a high prevalence of sleep debt, acute and chronic insomnia symptoms without an obvious impact of working schedules.