0407 Physician Heal Thyself – a Novel Approach to Improve Sleep in Post-Graduate Medical Trainees

Abstract Introduction Post-graduate medical training entails long work hours, overnight shift work, nocturnal sleep disruptions and insufficient sleep. Mandatory work hour restrictions have had some benefits, but ongoing acute and chronic sleep deprivation in physician trainees continues to impair physical and mental health, impede work performance and contribute to patient safety concerns. Sleep deprivation is increasingly common regardless of profession, and most adults fail to get adequate sleep, in part due to worsening sleep hygiene. We sought to determine whether physician trainees might be similarly impacted by the plethora of contemporary, maladaptive lifestyle habits and behaviors that contribute to insomnia in the general population. Methods We recently developed and validated a comprehensive sleep hygiene survey (Atlantic Sleep Hygiene Questionnaire, ASHQ) consisting of 20 detrimental sleep habits based on a critical analysis of the sleep hygiene literature. The ASHQ was administered to 97 residents and fellows at 2 teaching institutions encompassing 13 different specialties. Trainees also completed a single item sleep quality assessment (Sleep Quality Score, SQS) and a screening tool for insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index, ISI). ASHQ scores were summarized and compared to SQS and ISI survey results, and correlations were analyzed for each assessment. Trainees were provided immediate feedback following completion of the survey. Results ASHQ and ISI scores were elevated in a majority of the trainees, indicating a high prevalence of detrimental sleep habits and insomnia, respectively. ASHQ scores were significantly associated with SQS and ISI scores, and there was a direct correlation between poor sleep hygiene, worse sleep quality and insomnia. Conclusion Detrimental sleep habits were highly prevalent in this cohort of post-graduate medical trainees, and poor sleep hygiene correlated with both subjective sleep quality and insomnia. ASHQ may be a useful instrument to identify and improve poor sleep hygiene in this already sleep-deprived population. Support (if any)