Researchers revealed how to get rid of drowsiness during night work
Two short sleep sessions of a set length can help you work through to the end of a night shift without drowsiness.Researchers from Hiroshima University tested different sleep strategies used by health care workers during long shifts that span the night. Two short sleep periods of 90 and 30 minutes were found to best relieve sleepiness and fatigue.
Researchers analyzed data from a nighttime sleep study conducted from 2012 to 2018 at hospitals in Japan. One of the employees' shifts lasts for 16 hours and captures night time. During this duty shift, nurses are usually allowed to sleep for up to two hours.
The researchers simulated a work shift that lasted from 4:00 pm to 9:00 am. In three experiments, participants were asked to spend the entire night without sleep, one two-hour sleep break, or two breaks (1.5 hours and 30 minutes). Researchers assessed how sleep duration affected cognitive performance and feelings of sleepiness.
The analysis showed that employees who slept for two hours before midnight felt tired and wanted to sleep again by as early as 4 a.m. The cognitive decline and sleepiness persisted for the rest of the day. The best results were for those who slept for 90 minutes before midnight and 30 minutes around 3:00 am.
The researchers note that a 1.5-hour nap corresponds to one full cycle, and therefore it's easier to get up afterward. And a short 30-minute nap increases alertness and attentiveness. This strategy is suitable not only for night workers, the scientists believe, but also for parents who do not sleep together with a newborn, or students who break the regime during the session.