• Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
Podcast
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice
24/7 Health News
No Result
View All Result
Home Article

Health care workers are frazzled – and poor sleep may turn stress into poor mental health

March 14, 2023
in Article
0
Health care workers are frazzled – and poor sleep may turn stress into poor mental health
file 20230307 299 27ac53
Shift work and long hours are common working conditions in health care.
insta_photos/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Health care workers often put the health and safety of their patients first, neglecting to take care of themselves. By providing continuous services around the clock, many experience short and poor-quality sleep, risking not only their own health and safety but also increasing the risk of making errors that can affect patient safety.

I am an occupational health researcher who studies work, sleep and health among health care workers. My research has found that emotional labor – such as using fake smiles to hide true feelings – and work-family conflict – such as clashing demands between roles at work and at home – are both linked to depressive symptoms among health care workers. And poor sleep quality can amplify the effects of these stressors, resulting in worse mental health.

Table of Contents

  • Health care workers face multiple challenges
  • Poor sleep and mental health
  • How can health care workers improve their sleep?
  • Workplace is critical to improving sleep

Health care workers face multiple challenges

Shift work and long hours are common components of a health care job. Night or rotating shifts that require being awake during the night and sleeping during the day can misalign the biological clock, which is typically oriented to wake during the day and sleep during the night. This mismatch can result in sleepiness and impaired performance at work, along with poor and shortened sleep during the day.

Moreover, health care workers can face many other work stressors, such as exposure to infectious diseases and chemical hazards, bullying and violence, high physical workloads and time pressure. These require learning to manage emotions and feelings during interactions with patients and co-workers.

Even so, some professionals in various fields may need to repress their own emotions in order to do their work effectively. In our study of over 1,000 U.S. public sector health care workers who directly and indirectly work with patients, my research team and I found that over half had to mask their feelings at work without addressing them, and increasing levels of emotional labor were linked to increasing symptoms of depression.

Two health care workers on the phone at computer hub, one with hand covering eyes.
Health care workers face a number of stressors that can affect their physical and mental health.
Reza Estakhrian/The Image Bank via Getty Images

In addition, health care workers often experience conflicting demands between their work and family roles. For example, a parent may need to take time off from work to take care of a sick child. Research on U.S. workers has found that work-family conflict can have adverse physical and mental health effects.

In our study, about half of the health care workers we surveyed reported that their work interfered with their family life, while about 30% experienced family life interfering with work. Importantly, these conflicts were linked to poor mental health such as depression.

Poor sleep and mental health

The U.S. National Health Interview Survey, an annual household interview of adults conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, found that 36% of workers had an average sleep duration of less than seven hours a day in 2018. A minimum of seven hours of sleep is recommended for optimum health and well-being. Sleep deprivation is increased among health care workers, affecting 45% of those surveyed. Our research found an even higher rate: Over half of the health care workers we studied reported fewer than seven hours of sleep per day, and one-third complained of sleep disturbances.

Moreover, we found that one-quarter of these health care workers experienced depressive symptoms, a rate three times higher than the depression prevalence of the general U.S. population.

Sleep plays a critical role in mental health. Short or poor sleep is a strong risk factor for depression and poor mental well-being. And it is well known that stress can interfere with sleep quality. Our study found that disturbed sleep intensified the effect of work stressors such as emotional labor and work-family conflict on the depressive symptoms of health care workers. That is to say, these work stressors may both directly affect health care workers’ mental health and indirectly affect mental health by harming their sleep.

How can health care workers improve their sleep?

The most common nondrug-based recommendations to improve the sleep of shift workers include scheduling, bright light exposure, napping, sleep hygiene education and cognitive behavioral therapy.

There is no concrete evidence yet available on the best sleep schedule for health care workers on night or rotating shifts. However, while most night workers begin their daytime sleep shortly after returning home in the morning, laboratory studies on older adults found better night shift alertness and performance and longer sleep duration with an afternoon-evening sleep schedule.

Health care worker sleeping at computer in nursing station
Some health care workers squeeze in sleep wherever they can.
Go Nakamura/Stringer via Getty Images News

Based on those findings, my research team is currently testing the effectiveness of an afternoon-evening sleep schedule in real-world settings for health care workers who are regularly working nights. We are also exploring whether such a sleep schedule is acceptable to health care workers and easy enough to integrate into their daily lives.

Workplace is critical to improving sleep

Building a healthy work environment is a critical and meaningful way to improve sleep. A large number of work stressors – such as shift work, work demands, lack of social support, workplace hazards and negative behaviors of co-workers – all contribute to the poor sleep of health care workers.

Evidence-based workplace programs that prevent workplace violence, provide emotional support after difficult incidents and offer flexible scheduling could all help reduce the underlying problems behind poor sleep. Workplaces may consider an integrated approach that both reduces work-related stressors and promotes the sleep and health of their workers. For example, a healthy workplace may allow their employees to select their own work schedules and provide training on sleep hygiene.

Moreover, many sleep promotion programs need the workplace to get involved. Sleep education requires employer support, and light exposure and nap rooms require environmental changes in the workspace. Allowing workers to participate in the decision-making process may encourage them to get involved and take action to improve their own health, which could transform sleep and overall health for workers, especially those in the medical field.

The Conversation

Yuan Zhang receives funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH) Grant Number R01 AG044416 and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Grant Number 2 U19 OH008857.

ShareTweetSharePin
Previous Post

People with personality disorders are more likely to sign up for psychology studies – here’s why that’s a problem

Next Post

COVID, bird flu, mpox – a virologist on why we’re seeing so many viruses emerge

Next Post
COVID, bird flu, mpox – a virologist on why we’re seeing so many viruses emerge

COVID, bird flu, mpox – a virologist on why we're seeing so many viruses emerge

Most Read

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

What causes stuttering? A speech pathology researcher explains the science and the misconceptions around this speech disorder

December 15, 2022
morning back pain

Morning Again Ache Trigger Is Not the Mattress

October 11, 2021
lower back pain relief exercises

5 decrease again ache aid workouts

October 11, 2021
3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

3 years after legalization, we have shockingly little information about how it changed cannabis use and health harms

October 15, 2021
Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

Nasal vaccines promise to stop the COVID-19 virus before it gets to the lungs – an immunologist explains how they work

December 14, 2022
bleeding in gum

When The Bleeding in gum Is Severe ?

October 11, 2021
Good Night Sleep

6 Causes of Good Evening Sleep

October 11, 2021

COVID vaccines: how one can pace up rollout in poorer international locations

October 5, 2021
Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

Ten small changes you can make today to prevent weight gain

October 12, 2021
Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

Support and collaboration with health-care providers can help people make health decisions

December 16, 2021
Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

Greece to make COVID vaccines mandatory for over-60s, but do vaccine mandates work?

December 1, 2021

Multiple sclerosis: the link with earlier infection just got stronger – new study

October 12, 2021
News of war can impact your mental health — here’s how to cope

Binge-eating disorder is more common than many realise, yet it’s rarely discussed – here’s what you need to know

December 2, 2022
Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

Nurses’ attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination for their children are highly influenced by partisanship, a new study finds

December 2, 2022
Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia

January 3, 2023
How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

How hot is too hot for the human body? Our lab found heat + humidity gets dangerous faster than many people realize

July 6, 2022
The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

The promise of repairing bones and tendons with human-made materials

January 4, 2022
As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

As viral infections skyrocket, masks are still a tried-and-true way to help keep yourself and others safe

December 14, 2022
How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

How regulatory agencies, not the courts, are imposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates

October 24, 2021
Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research

Heart disease risk from saturated fats may depend on what foods they come from – new research

November 29, 2021
Late night eating may cause greater weight gain – new research points to why

Late night eating may cause greater weight gain – new research points to why

October 12, 2022

10 Things I Learned During My Body Transformation

October 12, 2021

7 Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes

October 12, 2021
Nobel prize: how chilli peppers helped researchers uncover how humans feel pain

Nobel prize: how chilli peppers helped researchers uncover how humans feel pain

October 12, 2021
How air filters can make COVID wards safer for patients and staff

How air filters can make COVID wards safer for patients and staff

December 1, 2021
GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

GPs don’t give useful weight-loss advice – new study

December 16, 2022
Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

Four ways to avoid gaining weight over the festive period – but also why you shouldn’t fret about it too much

December 22, 2022
Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

Five ways to avoid pain and injury when starting a new exercise regime

December 30, 2022
Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

Why suicide prevention support is crucial for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder

September 28, 2022
Too hot to handle: Climate considerations for youth sport during the hottest years on record

Too hot to handle: Climate considerations for youth sport during the hottest years on record

July 19, 2022
  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS

  • Home
  • Health & Wellness
  • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • DMCA Notice

© 2020 DAILY HEALTH NEWS