Sleep Duration at Home and Sleepiness on the Job in Rotating Twelve-Hour Shift Workers

Abstract

The relation between sleeping patterns at home and sleepiness ratings on the job was examined for 29 shift workers. The workers' 12 h shift schedule was an eight-day cycle, with two day shifts followed by two night shifts and 96 h off. The workers were categorized as early-onset or late-onset sleepers and as long or short sleepers, based on their sleeping patterns on a nonworking day. No significant differences were found between early-onset and late-onset sleepers in reported sleepiness on the job. The reported sleepiness on the job of short sleepers was significantly less than that of long sleepers on both day and night shifts. This difference was explained in terms of a hypothesized effect of long sleeping on circadian rhythms. Social factors appeared to explain the shorter sleeping periods of some workers.

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