Sleeping well is one of the key factors in enjoying good health and emotional well-being, but there are external factors that can alter our sleep patterns and prevent us from having a restful rest. One of them is shift work and night shift work, since there is scientific evidence that shows that they can negatively affect quality of life and health.
A new study has analyzed the correlation between different shift work patterns, sociodemographic factors and sleep disorders in 37,662 shift workers and has revealed that more than half of the people who carry out their professional work on regular night shifts had at least one sleep disorder, such as insomnia, sleep apnea, or restless legs syndrome.
The work has been carried out by researchers from the Netherlands who have published their findings in Frontiers in Psychiatry, where they explain that when people work in shifts (in 2015, 21% of workers in the European Union did), their rhythms Circadian patterns of sleep and wakefulness are often altered.
“We showed that, compared to working regular daytime shifts, working other types of shifts is associated with an increased occurrence of sleep disorders, particularly in regular, rotating night shift work,” said Dr. Marike. Lancel, researcher at the GGZ Drenthe Mental Health Institute and lead author of the study, told Frontiers. “It is notable that 51% of people who work at night tested positive for at least one sleep disorder,” she adds.
“There is a lot of evidence that shift work reduces sleep quality. However, little is known about the influence of different types of shifts on the prevalence of various sleep disorders and how this may vary depending on demographic characteristics,” Lancel added.
Work shifts and other factors that influence sleep quality
The researchers selected more than 37,000 participants who provided demographic data and indicated their shift work patterns (morning, afternoon, night, or shift rotation). They also answered a screening questionnaire for six common categories of sleep disorders: insomnia, hypersomnia, parasomnia, sleep-related breathing disorders, sleep-related movement disorders, and sleep-wake circadian rhythm disorders.
Participants’ responses suggested that working regular night shifts was the most negative condition regarding sleep quality, with half of night shift workers stating they had less than six hours of sleep in 24 hours, 51% reporting of one sleep disorder and 26% reported two or more sleep disorders. About a third of participants tested positive for at least one sleep disorder, while 12.6% tested positive for two or more.
“The effects of shift work on sleep are more prominent in young adults with a lower educational level”
The researchers also studied whether demographic factors, such as gender, age, and highest level of education, influenced sleep quality, and also took into account whether participants lived alone, with a partner or children, or with other people, such as friends. , parents or roommates.
The results showed that men slept fewer hours than women, but that sleep disorders were more common in women. Age also influenced sleep quality: older participants tended to sleep fewer hours, but most sleep disorders and their comorbidities were found to be more prevalent among the group of younger participants, aged 30 or younger.
A correlation was also found between educational level and the likelihood of experiencing sleep disruptions: “The effects of shift work on sleep are more prominent in young adults with a lower educational level,” Lancel noted. This group slept fewer hours and had a significantly higher prevalence of sleep disorders and their comorbidities.
The researchers acknowledge that some people who work night shifts may have fewer sleep-related problems than others, but they note that for the average night shift worker this work pattern will increase the likelihood that they will have difficulty performing everyday tasks and to sleep healthily. “Because those working the night shift will remain out of sync with the daytime-focused environment in which they live, it is unlikely that all the negative consequences of night work can be completely prevented,” concludes Lancel.
