Effects of a Sleep Education Program on the Health Status of Healthcare Workers Working 12-hour Alternating Day-night Shifts

In a context of seeking a better balance between personal and professional life and labor shortages, the use of 12-hour alternating day-night shifts has become more common in work organizations, particularly in healthcare facilities. This work pattern combines exposure to alternating day and night shifts with long working hours, raising questions about its effects on health, particularly sleep quality and cardiovascular risk. Staff working alternating day/night or night shifts are at risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly in connection with sleep deprivation and the adoption of individual behaviors that increase the risk (smoking, poor diet, alcohol consumption, smoking and low physical activity). However sleep education is not integrated in a personalized way into the prevention advice provided by occupational health services. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of a 6-month sleep education program conducted by occupational health nursing staff, on the sleep duration of healthcare workers newly exposed to alternating 12-hour day and night shifts.