On-call work and sleep: the importance of switching on during a callout and switching off after a call.

Due to the unpredictable nature of working time arrangements, on-call workers experience regular disruption to sleep, particularly if woken by calls. Sleep disruption can impact long term physical and mental health, next day performance, and importantly, performance immediately after waking. To reduce the impact of performance impairments upon waking (i.e., reducing sleep inertia), research has investigated strategies to promote alertness (e.g., bright light, caffeine, and exercise). This review puts forth on-call workers who are likely to return to sleep after a call, it is also important to consider the impact of these sleep inertia countermeasures on subsequent sleep. Future research should build on the preliminary evidence base for sleep inertia countermeasures by examining the impact on subsequent sleep. This research is key for both supporting alertness and performance during a call ("switching on") and for allowing the on-call worker to return to sleep after a call ("switching off").

The effect of a short burst of exercise during the night on subsequent sleep.

When on-call workers wake during the night to perform work duties, they may experience reduced alertness and impaired performance as a result of sleep inertia. After performing their duties, on-call workers may have the opportunity to return to sleep. Thus, it is important that sleep inertia countermeasures do not affect subsequent sleep. Exercise may be a suitable countermeasure; however, the impact on subsequent sleep is untested. Healthy participants (n = 15) completed three conditions in a counterbalanced order: sedentary, low-intensity exercise or high-intensity exercise, performed for 2 min upon awakening. Sleep was recorded 2 hr later using polysomnography, the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale was administered to measure subjective sleepiness, and core body temperature was measured continuously. Results indicate there was no effect of condition on most sleep variables; however, three variables had small differences, with longer total sleep time (p = .006), higher sleep efficiency (p = .006) and shorter N3 latency (p < .001) in the low-intensity exercise condition. There was no difference in subjective sleepiness (p = .124) or core body temperature (p = .216) 90 min after the exercise intervention. These results indicate that using a short burst of exercise to counteract sleep inertia when woken during the night may be a suitable countermeasure for on-call workers who not only need to be alert upon waking but also need quality sleep when returning to bed. Future research could include participants of other ages and health statuses to investigate whether the results are generalizable.

Impacts of Australian Firefighters' On-Call Work Arrangements on the Sleep of Partners.

On-call work arrangements are commonly utilised in the emergency services sector and are consistency associated with inadequate sleep. Despite sleep being a common shared behaviour, studies are yet to assess the impact of on-call work on the sleep of co-sleeping partners. This study aimed to investigate whether frequent 24/7 on-call work impacted the sleep and relationship happiness of firefighters' partners. Two key research questions were investigated: (1) Does the frequency of calls impact sleep and relationship happiness? and, (2) Does the (a) sleep quantity and (b) sleep quality of partners impact perceived relationship happiness? A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire completed by partners of on-call workers (n = 66; 93% female). The questionnaire included items on (i) sleep quantity and quality, (ii) on-call sleep disturbances and, (iii) relationship happiness. Responses were analysed using logistic regression models. Higher overnight call frequency was associated with greater self-reported levels of inadequate sleep (<7 h per night; p = 0.024). Support for continuance of a firefighter's role was less likely if the partner reported they regularly had trouble falling asleep within 30 min (p < 0.001). There were no other significant relationships between the frequency of calls or other sleep quantity or quality variables and relationship happiness. This study provides important first insights into how firefighters' on-call work arrangements impact partners' sleep. Future research is needed across periods of high and low call demand, using objective measures of sleep to further define the impacts of on-call work on partners' sleep.

Hot, Tired and Hungry: The Snacking Behaviour and Food Cravings of Firefighters During Multi-Day Simulated Wildfire Suppression.

Firefighters are exposed to numerous stressors during wildfire suppression, including working in hot temperatures and sleep restricted conditions. Research has shown that when sleep restricted, individuals choose foods higher in carbohydrates, fat, and sugar, and have increased cravings for calorie dense foods. However, there is currently no research on the combined effect of heat and sleep restriction on snacking behaviour. Conducting secondary analyses from a larger study, the current study aimed to investigate the impact of heat and sleep restriction on snacking behaviour and food cravings. Sixty-six firefighters completed three days of simulated physically demanding firefighting work and were randomly allocated to either the control (n = 18, CON; 19 °C, 8h sleep opportunity), sleep restricted (n = 16, SR; 19 °C, 4-h sleep opportunity), hot (n = 18, HOT; 33 °C, 8h sleep opportunity), or hot and sleep restricted (n = 14 HOT + SR; 33 °C, 4-h sleep opportunity) condition. During rest periods firefighters were able to self-select sweet, savoury, or healthy snacks from a ration pack and were asked to rate their hunger, fullness, and cravings every two hours (eating block). Mixed model analyses revealed no difference in total energy intake between conditions, however there was a significant interaction between eating block and condition, with those in the CON, HOT, and HOT + SR condition consuming significantly more energy between 1230 and 1430 compared to the SR condition (p = 0.002). Sleep restriction and heat did not impact feelings of hunger and fullness across the day, and did not lead to greater cravings for snacks, with no differences between conditions. These findings suggest that under various simulated firefighting conditions, it is not the amount of food that differs but the timing of food intake, with those that are required to work in hot conditions while sleep restricted more likely to consume food between 1230 and 1430. This has potential implications for the time of day in which a greater amount of food should be available for firefighters.