Sleep quality, sleep duration, and sleep disturbances among hospital night workers: a prospective cohort study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess among hospital night workers (i) to what extent sleep quality, sleep duration and sleep disturbances overlap, and (ii) associations between sociodemographic factors, lifestyle factors and work characteristics and sleep components. METHODS: Data were used from 467 hospital night workers participating in the Klokwerk + study, a prospective cohort study with two measurements. Sleep quality was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, sleep duration and sleep disturbances were measured by the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale. The overlap between the three sleep measures was visualized with a Venn diagram and the proportions of overlap was calculated. Associations between independent variables (sociodemographic factors, lifestyle factors and work characteristics) and the three sleep outcomes were estimated using between-within Poisson regression models. RESULTS: About 50% of the hospital night workers had at least one poor sleep outcome. Overlap in poor sleep outcomes was apparent for 36.8% of these workers, while the majority had a poor outcome in one of the sleep components only (63.1%). Former smoking had a significant association with poor sleep quality. For most independent variables no associations with poor sleep outcomes were observed. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that sleep quality, sleep duration and sleep disturbances are separate entities and should be studied separately. Lifestyle factors and work characteristics were generally not associated with poor sleep. Since these factors can have an acute effect on sleep, future research should consider ecological momentary assessment to examine how exposure and outcomes (co)vary within-persons, over time, and across contexts. Trial registration Netherlands Trial Register trial number NL56022.041.16.

Rostering in Air Traffic Control: A Narrative Review.

Most Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) must cover uninterrupted work shifts for 24 h a day, seven days a week. The proper planning of a shift schedule requires consideration of at least three elements: the specific characteristics of the controller task, the physiological needs of the operator, and the definition of rest periods within rostering. We reviewed the literature for providing comprehensive guidance on the main requirements for the construction of a shift schedule for ATCOs. Our considerations are organized according to a rationale reflecting the most important criteria for the construction of the schedule: namely, the organization of rest periods conceptualized as intervals between cycles of shifts, intervals between individual shifts, and breaks within the shift. The suggested parameters could be used to construct shift schedules within a variation margin that depends on individual contexts of application.

Alcohol Abuse and Insomnia Disorder: Focus on a Group of Night and Day Workers.

The sleep-wake cycle plays a fundamental role in maintaining the physiological balance of our body. Its alteration favours the genesis of several organic alterations and diseases including sleep disorders and the consumption of several substances of abuse. It has been reported that the work activity, especially that carried out during the night, is able to influence the sleep-wake cycle, promoting the development of insomnia, which, in turn, would subject the worker to a stressful condition such as to encourage adverse behaviour such as the use/abuse of psychotropic substances. Based on the above premises, the aim of our research was to evaluate, in night workers: (i) the pattern of consumption of alcoholic beverages; (ii) the presence of insomnia; and (iii) the possible correlation between alcohol consumption and insomnia disorder. We used the AUDIT-C test (the abbreviated version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) and the Insomnia Severity Index to assess alcohol consumption and insomnia disorder, respectively. All questionnaires were completed by workers of both sexes belonging to different types of work activities, exclusively day or night. The results of our research show a higher propensity of night workers to consume alcoholic beverages than those who work during daytime hours, often in binge-drinking mode. In addition, an increase in the amount of alcohol consumed was found to be related to insomnia disorder, especially in night workers. This study provides further awareness of the importance of the negative impact of alcohol consumption on sleep quality in night workers.

Qualidade de sono, atividade física durante o tempo de lazer e esforço físico no trabalho entre trabalhadores noturnos de uma indústria cerâmica / Sleep quality, physical activity during leisure time and physical effort at work among night workers of a ceramic industry

Este estudo teve o objetivo de verificar a relação entre qualidade do sono e atividade física durante o tempo de lazer entre trabalhadores noturnos com um elevado esforço físico no trabalho (média de 14.245; DP 3.456 kcal/semana). Também foi avaliada a relação entre a qualidade do sono e o nível do esforço físico no trabalho. Um total de 19 trabalhadores noturnos de uma indústria cerâmica respondeu o índice da qualidade do sono de Pittsburgh (PSQI) e o questionário internacional da atividade física (IPAQ). Foi calculado o dispêndio calórico total por semana para cada trabalhador através do equivalente metabólico (METs). Os trabalhadores foram distribuídos em dois grupos, de acordo com os escores do PSQI. Foi realizada a análise descritiva dos dados por meio de médias, valores mínimo e máximo, proporções e desvios-padrão. A relação entre qualidade do sono e atividade física foi avaliada pelo teste Mann-Whitney.O grupo de qualidade do sono ruim mostrou nível mais elevado de gasto energético no trabalho que o outro grupo, o que sugere uma relação entre gasto energético no trabalho e qualidade de sono. Distúrbios do sono e sonolência diurna também contribuíram para a qualidade de sono ruim. Esses resultados, embora preliminares, revelam uma tendência de que o elevado esforço físico no trabalho noturno contribui para baixa qualidade de sono.

This study aimed at verifying the relationship between sleep quality and physical activity during leisure time among night workers with high physical effort at work (average 14, 45; SD 3,456 kcal/week). Also, the relationship between sleep quality and level of physical effort at work was evaluated. A total of 19 night workers of a ceramic industry filled in the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The total energy expenditure per week for each worker was expressed by the metabolic equivalent (METs). Workers were distributed in two groups, according to the PSQI scores. We performed the descriptive analysis of data, calculating average, minimum and maximum values, percentages and standard deviations. The relationship between quality of sleep and physical activity was assessed by Mann-Whitney Test. The poor sleep quality group showed higher level of energy expenditure at work than the other group, suggesting a relationship between energy expenditure at work and sleep quality. Sleep disorders and diurnal sleepiness contributed to the poor sleep quality as well. Although these are preliminary results, they indicate that higher physical effort exerted at night work contributes to low sleep quality.