What Is Shift Work Sleep Disorder?

Shift workers are at risk of developing shift work sleep disorder (SWSD), which can affect their well-being and your business’s bottom line. 

In this article, learn the signs of SWSD, strategies to reduce the risk of your workers developing it, and how to support those affected. 

What Is Shift Work Sleep Disorder?

SWSD is a health condition that affects shift workers’ sleep patterns. It can cause difficulty falling and staying asleep or excessive sleepiness. 

This condition can affect those working outside of the traditional 8am to 5pm work window, including:

• Night shifts.
• Graveyard shifts.
• Early morning shifts.
• Rotating shifts. 

SWSD is common in the hospitality, healthcare, law enforcement, and transportation industries. 

Speaking to The Guardian, night shift worker Roger Reinhardt described the sleeping difficulties he experiences:

“Blackout curtains, white noise, and melatonin supplements only do so much. The body rebels. When I’m not going great, I wake up every 90 minutes to 2 hours and might go through most days of the week with only 4 hours of sleep.”

What causes SWSD?

SWSD is a circadian rhythm sleep disorder that impacts the body’s internal clock. 

Our circadian rhythm is the natural cycle our bodies follow over a 24-hour period. It influences when we wake up, sleep, and eat, as well as our bodily functions, such as hormone levels and core temperature. 

Circadian rhythms are sensitive to light. In darkness, our bodies produce melatonin, a hormone that makes us sleepy. Exposure to light in the morning signals our body to stop producing melatonin, helping us wake up. As a result, our circadian rhythm naturally aligns with day and night, helping us stay alert during the daytime for around 16 hours and asleep at night for about 8 hours. 

However, external factors—such as stress, travel, diet, and shift work—can disrupt our circadian rhythms. Individuals may develop SWSD when their circadian rhythm doesn’t align with their activities and environment. For example, people who work nights ask their bodies to do the opposite of what they are naturally inclined to do: stay awake all night to work and sleep during the day. 

What are the symptoms and long-term effects of SWSD?

The main symptoms of SWSD are insomnia (difficulty falling and staying asleep) and hypersomnia (excessive sleepiness). These symptoms can lead to various other side effects, such as:

• Headaches.
• Concentration problems. 
• Low energy. 
• Decreased alertness.
• Mood swings and heightened irritability. 
• Social withdrawal. 

If a worker suspects they have SWSD, it’s crucial they see a doctor for a formal diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan and to rule out any other health conditions, such as sleep apnea. To determine whether a worker has SWSD, a doctor may ask them to participate in a sleep study or observe their sleep patterns over 1 to 3 months by keeping a sleep diary.

How is SWSD treated?

Workers with SWSD should follow the treatment plan recommended by their doctor. Potential treatments may involve:

• Supplements such as melatonin. 
• Medications to help with falling asleep and waking up. 
• Light exposure or reduction. For example, exposure to bright light (even artificial ones) can signal to the brain that it’s time to be awake.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (a type of talk therapy).  

As an employer, you can’t diagnose SWSD or advise employees on treatment—leave this to the medical professionals. However, there are steps you can take to reduce the risk of your employees developing SWSD and support those who are formally diagnosed.

Why Employers Should Care About SWSD

Sleep disorders, including SWSD, can significantly impact employees and businesses. 

Impact on workers’ health

SWSD can drastically affect employees’ quality of life. Shift workers with sleep problems may find it difficult to fully relax or spend quality time with their family or friends on their days off.

In the long term, SWSD can harm workers’ mental health. A 2024 study found that SWSD is associated with poor mental health outcomes, including an increased risk of depression and anxiety. 

Like any health condition, SWSD may lead to employees calling in sick more often. Last-minute schedule changes to accommodate this are inconvenient to both managers and the employees who have to cover them, and they also cost your business money. 

Decreased employee morale and increased turnover

SWSD can impact workers’ moods and mental health at work and during their downtime. 

Unhappy employees have low morale and may lack motivation. This impacts not only the workers who have SWSD but also their colleagues. In turn, this may contribute to higher employee turnover.

Impact on quality of work and workplace safety

One of the main symptoms of shift work sleep disorder is hypersomnia or excessive tiredness. This has a significant impact on workers’ concentration and attention to detail. 

As a result, SWSD can compromise employees’ quality of work, resulting in higher operational costs to compensate for increased errors.

It can also lead to more workplace accidents. The National Safety Council estimates that 13% of annual workplace injuries are fatigue-related. 

Here are some examples of how SWSD may impact the quality of employees’ work and their safety:

• A healthcare employee struggling to stay awake on their shift gives a patient an incorrect dose of medication. 
• A forklift operator with impaired concentration may forget basic safety protocols and have an accident when driving a forklift. 
• A sleep-deprived worker with SWSD at a manufacturing plant makes mistakes when assembling products, resulting in defective items that can’t be sold. 

5 Ways to Reduce the Risk of SWSD

Here are some strategies for reducing the risk of employees’ developing SWSD. 

Raising awareness about SWSD helps employees recognize early warning signs and seek help immediately. 

You can provide standalone training about SWSD and incorporate it into your onboarding materials. It’s also a good idea to include information about SWSD and the safety risks of fatigue in your workplace safety and health training. 

Some topics you may want to include in your training are SWSD’s definition, its signs and symptoms, and where to seek help. 

Beyond educating your employees about the signs of SWSD, provide them with ways to reduce their risk of developing it. 

Start with sleep hygiene tips to help shift workers with sleep problems establish better sleep habits:

• Pre-bed routine: Activities like taking a shower or bath, doing a short meditation or breathing exercise, stretching, or reading for 10 minutes signal the brain that it’s sleep time. 
• Regular sleep schedule: A consistent sleep schedule—even on days off—when working night shifts can help employees fall asleep more easily. 

• Sleep environment: To create a good sleep environment, use blackout curtains, sleep masks, earplugs, and white noise machines. 
• Avoid certain activities before bed: Consuming caffeine and alcohol, eating a large meal, or doing strenuous exercise before bed can make it harder for some people to fall asleep or cause them to wake up throughout their sleep. 
• Limit light and screen exposure: Exposure to bright light and screens before sleeping can confuse our brains into thinking it’s daytime. 
• Mediation and relaxation: Learning simple meditation techniques can help with winding down and falling into a deeper sleep. 

Workers can also support their well-being and reduce their risk of developing sleep disorders by eating healthily—focusing on a diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and minimal overly processed, sugary, or fast foods. Regular exercise is also important for general well-being and quality sleep. 

While irregular hours are unavoidable in some industries, there are ways to optimize employee shift work schedules to reduce the risk of SWSD and other health issues, such as burnout. 

Here are some tips:

• Consider shift start times. For example, SleepFoundation.org says that early starts between 5am and 6am lead to greater worker fatigue. Avoid starting shifts between these times where possible. 
• Schedule employees for as few consecutive night shifts as possible. If you require employees to work several night shifts in a row, provide at least a 48-hour break before their next shift. 
• Consider scheduling night shift employees on shorter shifts. Longer breaks between shifts give them more time to rest properly. 
• Aim for consistency with your scheduling to help employees establish regular sleep patterns. It’s harder for employees to adjust to frequently rotating shifts. 
• If you use rotating shifts, rotate employees clockwise. According to UCLA Health, workers may find it easier to adapt to schedules that rotate clockwise (day shift—evening shift—night shift—morning shift—day shift) than those that go counterclockwise or are randomly assigned. 
• Consider your employees’ scheduling preferences. Some people are naturally “night owls” and may be happy to volunteer for late starts, while others prefer to take the early shifts.
• Ensure your employees have regular rest breaks during their shifts. Some states have mandatory break laws, but even if these don’t apply, giving your employees regular breaks can help support their well-being. 

Monitor your employees closely for early signs of SWSD, especially during schedule changes that involve a switch between day and night shifts. 

Additionally, ensure other managers and supervisors know what to look for and how to respond. They can keep an eye on their teams and speak with employees informally or during regularly scheduled check-ins. 

The next steps may include linking employees up with your company’s wellness program or in-house medical staff, encouraging them to speak with their doctors, and providing them with information about ways to prevent SWSD. 

To help reduce the risk of SWSD, you can make some physical changes to the work environment, especially for night shift workers. 

For example, a recent meta-analysis of 14 studies found that blue-enriched white light with a color temperature greater than 5000 K helped reduce sleepiness in night-shift workers. The study suggested that, in a healthcare context, this type of lighting could help “ensure patient safety, reduce accidents, and improve work efficiency and job satisfaction.”

Workplace temperature also impacts workers’ productivity and attention. For example, a study by Cornell University found that increasing the office temperature from 68 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit reduced typing mistakes by 44% and increased output by 150%. 

There isn’t a scientifically proven ideal workplace temperature, and the best setting varies depending on your employees’ type of work. So, ask your team for their input to find the ideal conditions. Send out a survey, or simply gather their feedback during your next meeting. 

Finally, ensure you provide employees with the necessary break facilities. For example, some companies offer sleep pods or quiet rooms for employees to nap during a night shift. 

How to Support Staff with SWSD

Many of the above strategies also help in supporting workers diagnosed with SWSD. Here are some additional steps you can take. 

Foster open communication

Create a supportive work culture where employees feel comfortable discussing their SWSD diagnoses with their managers, supervisors, or HR departments. If employees are willing to share details of their treatment, it can help you better support them. 

Like all employee health information, these discussions should be kept strictly confidential.

Encourage them to speak with a healthcare professional

Only medical professionals can diagnose and treat SWSD. Ensure your workers have access to healthcare support, either via their own doctor or with in-house medical staff. 

If your company has an employee wellness program, ensure employees know about it and how to access its support. These programs may provide referrals to counselors or psychologists, gym memberships, or reimbursements for health aids like blackout curtains or a noise machine.

Prioritizing Health and Productivity for Shift Workers

Shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) can significantly impact your employees and your business. By understanding SWSD’s signs and causes, you can take proactive steps to reduce its occurrence. 

Optimizing your scheduling is a great way to reduce the risk of workers’ developing SWSD. For streamlined scheduling that supports employees’ well-being, consider using Connecteam. Our all-in-one employee management app simplifies schedule creation, taking into account worker preferences and availability. 

Try Connecteam for free today. 

FAQs

How long does it take to recover from shift work sleep disorder?

Recovery time for SWSD varies between individuals. Studies suggest 2 days of rest is enough to recover from the effects of working a night shift. However, an individual’s overall health and other diagnoses may impact how long it takes them to recover from SWSD.  

How do you manage sleep with shift work?

Depending on the type of shift work, some strategies to help manage sleep include keeping a regular sleep schedule, taking a short nap during a work break, avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed, and using sleep aids like blackout curtains and white noise machines. 

Disclaimer

This article provides an informational overview and is not intended as medical advice. Shift work sleep disorder is a condition that requires a diagnosis and treatment plan from a medical professional. We strongly advise readers to consult a licensed medical professional for personalized advice, guidance, and treatment.