Effects of work organization on the occurrence and resolution of sleep disturbances among night shift workers: a longitudinal observational study

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the association between work organization and the trajectories of insomnia patterns among night shift workers in a hospital. The health examination data of hospital workers, recorded from January 2014 to December 2018, were collected; 6765 records of 2615 night shift workers were included. Insomnia was defined as a score of ≥ 15 on the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Participants were categorized into five groups according to insomnia patterns derived from the analysis of their ISI scores. Work organization and socio-demographic characteristics were also investigated. Generalized estimating equation models and linear mixed models were constructed to analyze the longitudinal data. Of the total participants, 53.0% reported insomnia at least once during the follow-up period. The lack of nap opportunities and work-time control was associated with the occurrence of insomnia, whereas more than 5 years of shift work experience was related to the resolution of insomnia. All work-related factors were significantly related to insomnia risk; however, the effects were not significant in the sustained insomnia group. Although sleep problems are inevitable in night shift workers, well-designed work schedules and better work organization can help reduce the occurrence of insomnia among them.