Nurse Work Schedules, Sleep Duration, and Drowsy Driving
Summary
This prospective study asked 895 U.S. hospital nurses to log their work hours, sleep, and alertness over four weeks. Two-thirds of participants reported at least one episode of drowsy driving during the study, and 30 nurses reported drowsy driving after every shift. Risk was significantly higher for those working night shifts, shifts longer than 12.5 hours, averaging fewer than six hours of sleep, or struggling to stay awake at work.
Why It Matters For Night Shift Workers and Night Owls
This study shows that fatigue from long or overnight shifts extends beyond the workplace and into the commute home, where it creates serious safety risks. For night-shift nurses and other workers, inadequate sleep and extended hours sharply raise the chance of drowsy driving. Protecting recovery time is therefore not only important for performance at work but also for safety on the road. For healthcare systems and other shift-based employers, the findings emphasize that limiting very long shifts and managing overtime are critical steps in reducing accident risk.
Notes
Classic nursing study on drowsy driving.