Sleep-Related Problems in Night Shift Nurses: Towards an Individualized Interventional Practice

Rotating shifts (mostly 8- or 12-h) are common among nurses to ensure continuity of care. This scheduling system encompasses several adverse health and performance consequences. One of the most injurious effects of night-time shift work is the deterioration of sleep patterns due to both circadian rh...

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Published inFrontiers in human neuroscience Vol. 15; p. 644570
Main Authors Alfonsi, Valentina, Scarpelli, Serena, Gorgoni, Maurizio, Pazzaglia, Mariella, Giannini, Anna Maria, De Gennaro, Luigi
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland Frontiers Research Foundation 16.03.2021
Frontiers Media S.A
Subjects
Circadian rhythm
Circadian rhythms
Cognitive ability
Environmental factors
Fatigue
health
Human Neuroscience
Melatonin
night shift work
Nighttime
Nurses
Reviews
Schedules
Shift work
Sleep deprivation
Sleep disorders
sleep problem
sleepiness
Workers
night shift work
fatigue
sleep problem
shift scheduling
health
sleepiness
nurses
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Summary:Rotating shifts (mostly 8- or 12-h) are common among nurses to ensure continuity of care. This scheduling system encompasses several adverse health and performance consequences. One of the most injurious effects of night-time shift work is the deterioration of sleep patterns due to both circadian rhythm disruption and increased sleep homeostatic pressure. Sleep problems lead to secondary effects on other aspects of wellbeing and cognitive functioning, increasing the risk of errors and workplace accidents. A wide range of interventions has been proposed to improve the sleep quality of nurses and promote an increase in attention levels. In recent years, particular attention has been paid to individual and environmental factors mediating the subjective ability to cope with sleep deprivation during the night shift. Given the predictive role of these factors on the negative impact of a night shift, an individualized intervention could represent an effective countermeasure by ensuring suitable management of shift schedules. Therefore, the aims of this mini-review are to: (a) provide an updated overview of the literature on sleep problems in night shift nurses and their adverse consequences; and (b) critically analyze the psychosocial factors that mediate the negative impact of shift work with the ultimate goal of defining an effective countermeasure based on an individualized approach.
Bibliography:Specialty section: This article was submitted to Health, a section of the journalFrontiers in Human Neuroscience
Reviewed by: Luc Laberge, Cégep de Jonquière, Canada; Arcady A. Putilov, Independent Researcher, Novosibirsk, Russia
Edited by: Sergio Garbarino, University of Genoa, Italy
ISSN:1662-5161
1662-5161
DOI:10.3389/fnhum.2021.644570