ASK DR SLEEP

Our lead sleep scientist Professor Russell Foster is back to help you support your shift workers. Today he’s answering a question about tiredness:

“We have had a few incidents reported where staff have been very sleepy on night shift at around 3 or 4am. Management are worried about how this will affect productivity, and about loss of vigilance and accidents happening. Thankfully nothing major has happened yet, but what can we do to ensure it doesn’t?”

Dr Sleep says: “Increased tiredness and loss of vigilance in the workplace during the evening or night shift have been linked to an increased level of accidents. In one study, the average risk for injury was 36% higher after four consecutive nights compared to four consecutive day shifts. Alertness has been shown to improve by illuminating the working environment with sufficiently bright light. An employer should be aware that light levels affect alertness and ensure levels are close to 1,000 lux (much higher than the 300 lux sufficient for visual needs).

If you have a question for Professor Russell Foster aka Dr Sleep, email it to info@night-club.org