The effects of a self-selected nap opportunity on the psychophysiological, performance and subjective measures during a simulated industrial night shift regimen

This study compared the effects of a 1 h self-selected recovery period to those of a standard night shift arrangement (with a total break time of 1-h) over a simulated three-day night shift schedule in a laboratory setting. Results showed that the inclusion of the flexible nap scheme resulted in hig...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ergonomics 2013-02, Vol.56 (2), p.220-234
Main Authors: Davy, Jonathan, Göbel, Matthias
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Applied physiology
Arousal
Attention
Biological and medical sciences
Body Temperature Regulation
Breaking
Circadian Rhythm
Comparative analysis
Daytime
Ergonomics
Ergonomics. Work place. Occupational physiology
fatigue
Female
Flicker Fusion
Heart Rate
Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology
Humans
Inclusions
Intervention
Male
Medical sciences
napping
Neuropsychological Tests
Night shifts
Psychomotor Performance
Reaction Time
Sensory Thresholds
shift work
Simulation
Sleep
Sleepiness
Work Schedule Tolerance
Young Adult
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Summary:This study compared the effects of a 1 h self-selected recovery period to those of a standard night shift arrangement (with a total break time of 1-h) over a simulated three-day night shift schedule in a laboratory setting. Results showed that the inclusion of the flexible nap scheme resulted in higher performance output, improvements in physiological strain responses and reduced sleepiness during each night shift and generally over the three-night cycle. Certain variables also revealed the impact of napping compared with the standard rest break condition on the circadian rhythm. The sleep diary records show that the inclusion of the current intervention did not significantly reduce daytime recovery sleep. The results suggest that the potential benefits of flexible napping may outweigh the logistical effort it requires in a workplace environment. Practitioner summary: Consensus on appropriate napping strategies for shift work remains a challenge. This simulated night shift laboratory study sought to determine the effects of a 1-h self-selected nap opportunity relative to a normal shift set-up. The nap improved performance and decreased sleepiness, without affecting daytime sleep.
ISSN:0014-0139
1366-5847
DOI:10.1080/00140139.2012.751459