Working night shifts causes sleep disorders in more than half of workers

New study shows that working night shifts favors development of sleep disorders, particularly in young adults with a lower education

2023-12-07

(Press-News.org) Sleep is critical for daytime and neurocognitive functioning, as well as physical and mental health. When people work shifts – in 2015, 21% of workers in the European Union did – their circadian sleep-wake rhythms are commonly disrupted. Now, researchers in the Netherlands have investigated the relationship between different shift working patterns, sociodemographic factors, and sleep disorders.

“We showed that compared to working regular shifts during daytime hours, working other shift types is associated with a higher occurrence of disordered sleep, particularly in rotating and regular night shift work,” said Dr Marike Lancel, a researcher at GGZ Drenthe’s Mental Health Institute and senior author of the study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry. “Of note, 51% of people working nights scored positive for at least one sleep disorder.”

Questioning sleep

“There is a lot of evidence that shift work reduces the quality of sleep. 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 continued.

To fill these gaps, the researchers recruited more than 37,000 participants who provided demographic information, indicating their shift work patterns (regular morning, evening, night, or switching between shifts).

They also completed a questionnaire screening for six common sleep disorder categories: insomnia, hypersomnia, parasomnia, sleep-related breathing disorders, sleep related movement disorders, and circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders.

The responses suggested that working regular night shifts was the most debilitating condition concerning sleep. Half of the night shift workers reported to sleep less than six within 24 hours, 51% reported one sleep disorder, and 26% reported two or more sleep disorders.

Across the entire study population, approximately a third scored positive for at least one sleep disorder, while 12.6% screened positive for two or more.

Demographics and living situation matter

The researchers also investigated if demographic factors, such as sex, age, and highest level of education impacted sleep health. They also considered if participants lived alone, with a partner and/or children, or with others, such as friends or parents.

Their results showed that males slept fewer hours than females, but that sleep disorders were more common in women. Age also influenced sleep health: older participants tended to sleep shorter hours, but most sleep disorders and their comorbidities were found to be more prevalent among the youngest participant group, aged 30 and below.

Concerning education level and the likeliness to have disrupted sleep, the researchers found a correlation: “The effects of shift work on sleep are most prominent in young adults with a lower education,” Lancel pointed out. This group slept shorter hours and had a significantly higher prevalence of sleep disorders and comorbidities thereof.

Adjusting to active nights?

It is possible that some people working night shifts may experience fewer sleep related problems than others, the researchers said, but that for the average night shift worker, this out-of-rhythm work pattern will increase the likeliness of them struggling with regular, healthy sleep. “Because those working night shift will remain de-synchronized with the day-work focused environment they live in, it is unlikely to completely prevent all negative consequences of night work,” explained Lancel.

The researchers also pointed to certain limitations of their study. For example, individuals with sleep disorders might participate in sleep-focused studies more readily than healthy sleepers. Nevertheless, the authors said that their findings can provide crucial information for employers in professions where shift work is common. They also might be used to educate on strategies on how to best deal with and reduce consequences of working nights and sleeping days.

END

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Simulating stroke treatments with a digital twin

2023-12-07

It sounds like something from a science fiction film. Assessing the best treatment for a patient with a cerebral infarction or cerebral haemorrhage by performing the procedure on their digital twin. If it's up to researchers at Amsterdam UMC, this will be reality in six years. They've received a Horizon grant worth 10 million euros from the European Commission to to lead 19 partners in making this a reality. For years, researchers have been using computers to simulate card designs and airplane flights. Max Verstappen steps into a simulator before he enters his real Formula 1 car and Henk Marquering, Professor of Translational Artificial ...

Focus on people to boost Africa’s climate resilience

2023-12-07

Investments in Africa’s infrastructure can make people and communities far more resilient to the threats posed by climate change, a new report says. Traditionally, financiers and developers have focused on risks to infrastructure such as transport, water and energy systems when considering climate resilience (being able to cope with threats such as extreme heat and storms). However, a new report launched today at COP28 – produced by the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG) and the University of Exeter – calls for an expanded focus. Specifically, ...

COVID-19 pandemic study shows adherence to infection precaution measures among healthcare personnel varies by job role

2023-12-07

Arlington, Va. — December 7, 2023 — A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), based on a survey of healthcare professionals conducted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, suggests that new efforts may be needed to strengthen infection prevention precautions and protect staff members at the highest risk of exposure to dangerous pathogens. This is believed to be the first study of pandemic-era infection precautions to include a broad variety of healthcare jobs. Researchers found that workers who ...

World-first trial offers new hope for type 1 diabetes

2023-12-06

Researchers at St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research (SVI) in Melbourne have shown that a commonly prescribed rheumatoid arthritis drug can suppress the progression of type 1 diabetes.  The world-first human trial, published today in the New England Journal of Medicine and led by SVI’s Professor Thomas Kay, showed that a drug called baricitinib can safely and effectively preserve the body’s own insulin production and suppress the progression of type 1 diabetes in people who initiated treatment within 100 days of diagnosis.    “When type 1 diabetes is first diagnosed there is a substantial ...

PFAS exposure linked to decreased bone health in adolescents and young adults

2023-12-06

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), manufactured chemicals used in products such as food packaging and cosmetics, can lead to reproductive problems, increased cancer risk and other health issues. A growing body of research has also linked the chemicals to lower bone mineral density, which can lead to osteoporosis and other bone diseases. But most of those studies have focused on older, non-Hispanic white participants and only collected data at a single point in time. Now, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine ...

Baboons in captivity in Ancient Egypt: insights from collection of mummies

2023-12-06

Baboons were raised in captivity before being mummified in Ancient Egyptian sites, according to a study published December 6, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Wim Van Neer of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Belgium and colleagues. For over a millennium, from the 9th Century BC to the 4th Century AD, ancient Egyptians venerated and mummified various animal species for religious purposes. Included among these animals were baboons, notably species not native to ancient Egypt, and not much is ...

Light therapy may improve symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease

2023-12-06

Light therapy leads to significant improvements in sleep and psycho-behavioral symptoms for patients with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study published this week in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Qinghui Meng of Weifang Medical University, China, and colleagues. The cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease is often accompanied by sleep disturbances and psycho-behavioral symptoms including apathetic and depressive behavior, agitation and aggression. Photobiomodulation is a non-pharmacological therapy that uses light energy to stimulate the suprachiasmic nucleus (SCN), a sleep modulator in the brain. ...

More than 4 hours of daily smartphone use associated with health risks for adolescents

2023-12-06

In a new study of more than 50,000 Korean adolescents, those who used a smartphone for more than 4 hours per day had higher rates of adverse mental health and substance use. Jin-Hwa Moon and Jong Ho Cha of Hanyang University Medical Center, Korea, and colleagues present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS ONE on December 6, 2023. Prior research has shown that smartphone use among adolescents has increased in recent years, and that this usage may be associated with higher risk of adverse health—such as psychiatric disorders, sleep issues, eye-related problems, and musculoskeletal disorders. However, growing evidence suggests that at least some daily internet usage ...

Jays, but not crows, use delayed gratification flexibly to avoid missing out

2023-12-06

While Eurasian jays and New Caledonian crows can practice delayed gratification by waiting for access to higher-quality food, jays adjust this self-control behavior depending on the social context. The study by Dr. Rachael Miller at Anglia Ruskin University, UK, James Davies at the University of Cambridge, UK, and colleagues is publishing December 6 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. Self-control helps animals to plan and achieve long-term goals. For example, the ability to resist a small, immediate reward and ...

A Southeast Asian sea cucumber species features bioactive compounds, including terpenoid glycosides and saponins which have reported anti-cancer benefits

2023-12-06

A Southeast Asian sea cucumber species features bioactive compounds, including terpenoid glycosides and saponins which have reported anti-cancer benefits ### Article URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0294535 Article Title: Comprehensive metabolomics of Philippine Stichopus cf. horrens reveals diverse classes of valuable small molecules for biomedical applications Author Countries: Philippines Funding: ETY received funding for the study from the Department ...