Cited by 641Sleep and Work-Related FatigueCircadian rhythm and melatoninSleep and related disorders

Sleep loss and fatigue in shift work and shift work disorder

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Åkerstedt, Torbjörn, Wright, Kenneth P.·2009·Sleep Medicine Clinics

Abstract

Shift work is highly prevalent in industrialized societies (>20%) but, when it includes night work, it has pronounced negative effects on sleep, subjective and physiological sleepiness, performance, accident risk, as well as on health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease and certain forms of cancer. The reason is the conflict between the day oriented circadian physiology and the requirement for work and sleep at the "wrong" biological time of day. Other factors that negatively impact work shift sleepiness and accident risk include long duration shifts greater than 12 hours and individual vulnerability for phase intolerance that may lead to a diagnosis of shift work disorder; i.e., those shift workers with the greatest sleepiness and performance impairment during the biological night and insomnia during the biological day. Whereas some countermeasures may be used to ameliorate the negative impact of shift work on nighttime sleepiness and daytime insomnia (combined countermeasures may be the best available), there seems at present to be no way to eliminate most of the negative effects of shift work on human physiology and cognition.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.jsmc.2009.03.001

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  1. [9]Foret J Lantin G Colquhoun WP The sleep of train drivers: An example of the effects of irregular work schedules on sleep Aspects of Human Efficiency. Diurnal Rhythm and Loss of Sleep 1972 London The English Universities Press Ltd 273 281
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  7. [119]Andlauer P The effect of shift working on the workers' health TU Information Bulletin 1960 European Productivity Agency 29

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Authors
Åkerstedt, T., & Wright, K. P.
Affiliations
  • Karolinska Institutet (SE)
  • University of Colorado Boulder (US)
Corresponding author
Åkerstedt, Torbjörn
Venue
Sleep Medicine Clinics
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-06
Volume
4
Issue
2
Pages
257-271
ISSN
1556-407X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2070497729
Cited by
639
References
156
Citations by year
2026: 23 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 42 · 2023: 49 · 2022: 60 · 2021: 48 · 2020: 53 · 2019: 46 · 2018: 47 · 2017: 41 · 2016: 39 · 2015: 28 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 36 · 2012: 28
FWCI
23.66
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Sleep Medicine Clinics (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL081761)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and Work-Related Fatigue
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
Keywords
shift work, shift work disorder, sleep deprivation, fatigue, circadian misalignment, night work, sleepiness, insomnia, crash risk, cardiovascular disease, cancer risk, countermeasures

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