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Review
. 2014 Apr;16(2):134-42.
doi: 10.1177/1099800413476571. Epub 2013 Feb 13.

Effects of napping on sleepiness and sleep-related performance deficits in night-shift workers: a systematic review

Jeanne S Ruggiero  1 , Nancy S Redeker
Affiliations
Review

Effects of napping on sleepiness and sleep-related performance deficits in night-shift workers: a systematic review

Jeanne S Ruggiero et al. Biol Res Nurs. 2014 Apr.

Abstract

Night-shift workers are prone to sleep deprivation, misalignment of circadian rhythms, and subsequent sleepiness and sleep-related performance deficits. The purpose of this narrative systematic review is to critically review and synthesize the scientific literature regarding improvements in sleepiness and sleep-related performance deficits following planned naps taken during work-shift hours by night workers and to recommend directions for future research and practice. We conducted a literature search using the Medline, PsychInfo, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and Health and Safety Science Abstracts databases and included English-language quasi-experimental and experimental studies that evaluated the effects of a nighttime nap taken during a simulated or actual night-work shift. We identified 13 relevant studies, which consisted primarily of small samples and mixed designs. Most investigators found that, despite short periods of sleep inertia immediately following naps, night-shift napping led to decreased sleepiness and improved sleep-related performance. None of the studies examined the effects of naps on safety outcomes in the workplace. Larger-scale randomized clinical trials of night-shift napping and direct safety outcomes are needed prior to wider implementation.

Keywords: napping; performance; psychomotor vigilance; sleep; sleepiness; systematic review.

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Selection criteria for systematic review.
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