Quick Returns – Effects on Sleep, Sleepiness and Cognitive Performance. An Experimental Field Study

Introduction: Quick returns (<11h between shifts, QRs) result in shortened sleep length (~5–6h) and increased sleepiness and are thus likely to have a negative impact on work performance. Previous registry studies and field studies utilizing retrospective ratings have associated QRs with an increased risk of accidents and mistakes, but there is a shortage of studies that have adopted an experimental design to assess the acute effects of quick returns on work performance. The aim of the present experimental field study was to investigate differences in objective and subjective measures of sleep, sleepiness and cognitive performance between QRs and day-day transitions.