Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Nov 18;4(1):zpad050.
doi: 10.1093/sleepadvances/zpad050. eCollection 2023.

A preliminary framework for managing sleep inertia in occupational settings

Katya Kovac  1 , Grace E Vincent  1 , Jessica L Paterson  2 , Cassie J Hilditch  3 , Sally A Ferguson  1
Affiliations
Review

A preliminary framework for managing sleep inertia in occupational settings

Katya Kovac et al. Sleep Adv. .

Abstract

Sleep inertia, the temporary period of impairment experienced upon waking, is a safety hazard that has been implicated in serious work-related incidents resulting in injuries as well as the loss of life and assets. As such, sleep inertia warrants formal management in industries where personnel are required to undertake their role soon after waking (e.g. emergency services, engineers, and health care). At present, there is a lack of practical, evidence-based guidance on how sleep inertia could be formally managed at an organizational level. We propose a preliminary framework for managing sleep inertia based on the translation of research findings into specific work procedure modifications/control mechanisms. Within the framework, work procedure modifications/control mechanisms to manage sleep inertia are organized into three levels: (1) modifications/controls that eliminate the chance of sleep inertia, (2) modifications/controls that reduce sleep inertia severity, and (3) modifications/controls that manage the risk of errors during sleep inertia. Practical considerations, limitations, and areas of further research are highlighted for each modification/control to help determine how readily each control measure could be implemented by industries at present. A guide for organizations to use this preliminary framework of sleep inertia management is put forward, as well as the next research priorities to strengthen the utility and evidence base of the framework. This paper is part of the Sleep and Circadian Rhythms: Management of Fatigue in Occupational Settings Collection.

Keywords: shift work; sleepiness; sleep–wake cognition.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
A preliminary sleep inertia framework. The sleep inertia management framework illustrated outlines work procedure modifications related to eliminating sleep inertia (level 1), reducing the severity of sleep inertia (level 2), managing the risk of errors caused by sleep inertia (level 3), and education and training on sleep inertia and management strategies.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Safe Work Australia. Canberra, Australia: Managing Risks. Safe Work Australia. https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/safety-topic/managing-health-and-sa...
    1. Alli BO. Fudamental Principles of Occupational Health and Safety. Geneva: International Labour Office; 2008.
    1. Mallis M, Banks S, Dorrian J, Dinges DF.. Aircrew fatigue, sleep need, and circadian rhythmicity. Human Factors in Aviation and Aerospace. London, UK: Elsevier; 2023:309–339.
    1. Lerman SE, Eskin E, Flower DJ, et al. .; American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Presidential Task Force on Fatigue Risk Management. Fatigue risk management in the workplace. J Occup Environ Med. 2012;54(2):231–258. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0b013e318247a3b0 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dawson D, McCulloch K.. Managing fatigue: It’s about sleep. Sleep Med Rev. 2005;9(5):365–380. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2005.03.002 - DOI - PubMed