Quick Returns, Sleep, Sleepiness and Stress – A Field Study Investigating the Intra-Individual Effects on Objective Sleep and Diary Data

Introduction: Previous studies have associated quick returns (less than 11 hours of rest between shifts) with shortened sleep duration and increased sleepiness but have failed to find an association with sleep quality or stress. However, most previous work has relied on subjective measures of sleep which are limited. Thus, despite previous null results, an association with sleep quality cannot be ruled out. The aim of the present study is to examine how objective and subjective measures of sleep duration, sleep quality, sleepiness and stress are affected by quick returns compared with day- day transitions, in a sample of nurses and assistant nurses. The results have been published in the Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment and Health.