DR JUMANA HASEEN S,DR LAVANYA,DR SHANTHI NAMBI
DOI: https://doi.org/Shift-based hospital workers such as nurses, residents, and technicians often suffer from sleep disturbances due to irregular work hours and circadian rhythm misalignment. These disturbances are linked to poor sleep quality, increased daytime sleepiness, and impaired cognitive functioning, which can negatively impact both healthcare provider well-being and patient safety. Despite awareness of these challenges, sleep hygiene strategies tailored to this population are rarely applied in routine settings. In this randomized controlled trial, 140 rotating shift workers aged 20 to 50 were assigned to either a structured sleep hygiene intervention group or a control group receiving general sleep advice. Sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and cognitive performance were measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and Stroop test at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. By week 8, the intervention group demonstrated a significant improvement in PSQI scores (from 10.4 to 5.9), ESS scores (from 13.2 to 7.4), and Stroop test reaction time (135 ms improvement), all with statistically significant differences compared to controls. These findings suggest that structured sleep hygiene education can be an effective and feasible approach to reduce fatigue and enhance functional outcomes in shift-based hospital staff.
