Scheduled naps on the night shift: effects on drowsiness and nursing care quality
Summary
This study tested whether giving nurses a chance to take a 30-minute scheduled nap during their 12-hour shifts would reduce fatigue and improve care. Thirty-eight nurses from two pediatric intensive care units kept work diaries before and after the nap program. A smaller group also wore devices that tracked eye activity to measure drowsiness. Results showed that nurses who actually took the naps reported less fatigue and better quality of care on some shifts, while those who skipped naps saw no improvement. Objective measures also showed a drop in high-risk drowsiness levels during shifts.
Why It Matters For Night Shift Workers and Night Owls
Working long or overnight shifts can cause dangerous dips in alertness. This study shows that planned short naps during a shift can make a real difference — not just for how tired workers feel, but also for the quality of work they deliver. For nurses, that means safer, higher-quality care. For other night-shift workers, it’s a reminder that scheduled rest breaks are more effective than pushing through fatigue. Having naps supported at the workplace level may be key to keeping both performance and safety on track.