The effects of a 30-minute napping opportunity during an actual night shift on performance and sleepiness in shift workers

Abstract

Sleepiness due to sleep loss and circadian factors can have a detrimental effect on performance, and contribute to road and workplace accidents. A brief nap taken during or immediately before a night shift may alleviate sleepiness both at work and on the road after work. This study investigated the effects of a 30-minute napping opportunity before or during an actual night shift. Performance was evaluated in three repeated-measures, crossover conditions; a nap prior to night shift (20:15 h), a nap during night shift (04:00 h) and no nap. Eight healthy nightshift workers completed a simulated driving task, the Psychomotor Vigilance Task and the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale at the start, end, a..