Being tired is a normal part of the job for many people, but fatigue is much more extreme and impacts every part of a nurse’s day. For nurses who work long hours and deal with physical and mental stress, nurse exhaustion can mean having a chronic sleep debt and a greater risk of developing infections, getting sick, being less alert at work, and hurting themselves or others through impaired decision-making.
Understanding how shift work, sleep debt, and fatigue impact nurses’ health is crucial to ensure that changes can be made and nurses are aware of strategies to stay more alert while on the job.
The Toll of Shift Work and a Lack of Sleep
Sleep debt, which is a cumulative amount of lost sleep over time, is determined by calculating the amount of sleep an adult should get (seven to nine hours a night) and how much they actually get. This sleep debt can accrue gradually, even if a person misses only one or two hours of sleep a night.
For nurses’ work schedules, achieving the recommended number of hours of rest can be challenging. But, failing to do so can have real health consequences, such as:
- Fatigue
- Trouble concentrating
- Irritability
- Impaired decision-making
- A weakened immune system
A new study supports the risk of sleep debt and how sleep patterns and shift work, specifically, can impact nurses. According to the study, night shifts, when combined with sleep debt, increase the risk of several common infections in nurses.
The study, which reviewed data collected from 1,335 Norwegian nurses, determined that shift work (and particularly working the night shift) could be directly associated with a higher risk of developing several infections, such as:
- Bronchitis
- Common cold
- Penumonia
- Gastrointestinal infections
- Sinusitis
The findings from the study went on to suggest that getting enough sleep may help prevent infections, though additional research is needed.
In addition to these chronic health concerns, nurses should also know that fatigue has the potential to lead to emotional and mental challenges. Chronic exhaustion can also lead to nurse burnout.
Burnout has a direct impact on nurses’ mental health and is a leading cause of negative consequences for healthcare organizations, nurses, and their patients. This can lead nurses to feel detached from their work and reduce job satisfaction overall. This fatigue can also lead to reduced morale in the workplace and higher turnover rates as nurses leave their roles.
For these reasons, it’s vital that nurses take steps to get the rest they need to eliminate sleep deprivation and fatigue to stay alert at work.
How to Improve Sleep and Reduce Fatigue
For nurses to do their best work, they need to get enough sleep and feel energized during their shifts. Remember, although missing sleep once in a long while may not be detrimental, sleep debt adds up and can cause harm.
Sleep, which is a biological need, has to be long enough to meet an individual’s needs (which may vary by age and due to other factors, such as genetics). It also should not be interrupted regularly.
Nurses can improve the quality of their sleep and improve alertness during the day by:
- Making the bedroom dark. Whether sleeping during the night or day, a very dark room lends itself to better sleep. Blackout curtains can be purchased to reduce light and prevent interruptions in sleep.
- Creating a comfortable sleep environment. Noise, a hot bedroom, or uncomfortable pillows and mattresses can lead to trouble sleeping. Investing in a new mattress, new pillows, and cooler bedding can help improve sleep hygiene, as can using air conditioning or a fan and blocking noise.
- Telling others not to interrupt them during sleeping hours. Unless there is an emergency, no one should interrupt a nurse sleeping during their regular sleeping hours. Nurses can turn off their phones and eliminate other disturbances during that time to improve sleep time and quality.
Top Tips for Improving Sleep Hygiene
Getting enough sleep is possible by improving sleep habits, not just by changing the environment around a nurse during their sleeping hours. Good tips for improving sleep hygiene include:
- Exercising before a shift. Rather than exercising at the end of a shift (which can contribute to wakefulness), nurses should exercise prior to a shift.
- Avoiding foods high in sugar and spice. Unfortunately, these foods can make it much harder to get a good night’s sleep and may lead to gastrointestinal issues, such as indigestion.
- Writing down thoughts after a shift. Journaling or writing down thoughts after a shift can help nurses process what has happened that day and make it easier to get to sleep when they get home.
Making these simple changes can be a good way to improve sleep at night, get better rest, and be more alert during a shift.
Better Sleep Can Create Safer, Healthier Nursing Care
There is no question that nursing is a demanding profession, and it is common to see fatigue impact nurses who are doing their best to do their jobs. Unfortunately, when fatigue becomes chronic, it can lead to health problems, issues with performance, and even patient safety concerns.
Shift work makes things more complicated, and sleep debt may start to accrue over time. However, by making some simple changes at home and adjusting habits during nurses’ waking hours, it is possible to improve rest and get better sleep. Understanding the risks and impacts of sleep deprivation and making changes can help nurses be better at their jobs while protecting their health and wellness.
At Supplemental Health Care, we care about the health and safety of our nurses and the patients they serve. By prioritizing rest and recognizing the impact fatigue can have as a serious health issue, we believe it is possible to build safer, more sustainable healthcare systems with nurses who feel more comfortable and healthy throughout their careers. To learn more about the night shift and how nurses can take steps to stay healthy and alert, visit our resource on the topic, Tips for Nurses to Survive (and Thrive) Working Night Shift
To find a new role and connect with open nursing jobs, visit our job portal, where there are new job openings posted regularly for local and travel nurses across the country.
search content