Nurses' workload associated with 16-h night shifts. II: Effects of a nap taken during the shifts

Abstract

This study aimed at examining the effects on the subjective symptoms in nurses of both timing and length of a 2-h nap during a 16-h night shift. Compared to pre-nap levels, sleepiness, fatigue, and dullness increased immediately after napping. Afterwards, sleepiness decreased significantly, and the other symptoms returned to the pre-nap values. The nurses' subjective symptoms after napping were not associated with the timing of the nap and post-nap fatigue lasted longer as the nap time increased (> 1.5 h). These results suggest that for effective napping during long night shifts, the nap length should be determined carefully to avoid persistent sleep inertia.