Nurses, sleep disturbances, desynchronization of circadian rhythms, and performance: a dangerous liaison? A narrative mini-review

R. Cappadona, A. De Giorgi, B. Boari, R. Tiseo, P.J. Lopez-Soto, F. Fabbian, R. Manfredini

Department of Medical Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. f.fabbian@ospfe.it

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• Internal Medicine

OBJECTIVE: Nursing is a high-stress occupation, and recent research of circadian rhythm desynchronization has focused on its consequences for nurses’ health. Moreover, shiftwork, sleep disturbances, nightmares, and health issues are closely related to individual circadian preferences (‘chronotype’). The aim of this narrative mini-review was to check the available literature to collect findings on the interrelationships among these aspects, as well as to determine the possible consequences for performance.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We explored the PubMed, EMBASE and Google Scholar electronic databases using the search terms ‘Nursing’, ‘Stress’, ‘Sleep disturbances’, ‘Nightmares’, ‘Circadian rhythm’, ‘Desynchronization’, ‘Chronotype’, ‘Performance’, and ‘Sex/Gender’. Due to the wide heterogeneity of studies, with most including only some of these terms, we proceeded to single data extractions after analyzing the studies case by case and decided to conduct a narrative mini-review.

RESULTS: Shift work, due to the regular alterations of the daily light profile, disrupts the normal circadian sleep-wake cycle and is associated with impaired health among rotational shift workers, with nurses on the frontline. Circadian desynchronization may be associated with adverse effects on nurses’ health and may be a risk factor for stress, metabolic disorders, and sleep disturbances, including nightmares, and stress operates in a bidirectional fashion. Chronotype plays a crucial role as well, since the asynchrony between one’s chronotype and social working hours (social jetlag) may generate problems, since the time-of-day and optimal performance are strongly connected.

CONCLUSIONS: Circadian rhythms, chronotype, sleep, health, and working performance are strongly connected. The assessment of chronotype could represent a tool to identify health care personnel at higher risk of circadian disruption, allowing for mitigation of work-related stress and sleep disturbances, and reducing the risk of making working errors.

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