NIOSH Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours
Do You Have Symptoms of a Sleep Disorder?
Fifty to seventy million Americans have chronic sleep disorders or intermittent sleep problems.17
Everyone has occasional nights when they have trouble with sleep, and these are not a cause for concern. However, if you have persistent problems with sleep, they should not be ignored. Sleep disorders are often not recognized or diagnosed, and nurses are not immune from them. The most common disorders are insomnia, sleep-disordered breathing (which includes obstructive sleep apnea), restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy.18 If you have a sleep disorder, it may be impossible for you to get adequate sleep until the disorder is treated, even if you are using the very best coping strategies.
Page last reviewed: March 31, 2020
Content source: National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health