Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 14, 2026
08:36
Collecting Sleep, Circadian, Fatigue, and Performance Data in Complex Operational Environments
Published on: August 8, 2019
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Fatigued teams: night work impairs team performance and cohesion.
Ellyse Greer1, Mikaela Owen1, Peter G Roma2,3
1Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre, Adelaide University, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Sleep
|March 12, 2026
Summary
Night work significantly impairs team performance and cohesion, especially during the circadian low. These effects, including reduced alertness and productivity, highlight risks in safety-critical industries.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health
- Sleep Science
- Team Dynamics
Background:
- Distributed teams in safety-critical industries face fatigue and circadian misalignment during night shifts.
- While individual impacts are known, night work's effect on team processes is understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of simulated night work on distributed team performance and cohesion.
Main Methods:
- 24 participants completed a simulated night shift in a lab setting.
- Team performance was assessed using the COHESION task at multiple time points.
- Measures included alertness, cooperation, productivity, team performance, and cohesion.
Main Results:
- Significant declines in productivity, team performance, and cohesion were observed across the night, peaking at 06:00h.
- Cooperation and team dynamics also decreased significantly at 06:00h and 10:00h.
- Poorest outcomes correlated with the circadian low and diminished alertness.
Conclusions:
- Night work leads to significant degradation in team outcomes, particularly during the circadian low.
- The circadian system critically influences team performance and cohesion.
- Fatigue-related disruptions in cooperation and team dynamics persisted beyond the circadian low, emphasizing risks in safety-critical operations.
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