Adequate sleep is an important factor in human health and
being able to function safely at work. However, an increasing number of U.S.
workers aren’t getting enough sleep. The NIOSH Science Blog recently
explored this important topic in honor of National Sleep Awareness Week.
In the article “Sleep
and Work,” NIOSH scientists Claire Caruso, Ph.D., RN, and Roger R. Rosa,
Ph.D., discuss long work hours and shiftwork, and the risks to workers,
employers and the community, and what each can do to address these risks. A second article
highlights the research that NIOSH is conducting on the issue of work schedules
and work-related sleep loss.
NIOSH is studying ways to reduce the risks associated with
shiftwork and long work hours. Research projects include studies to estimate
the risks to workers and employers, identifying new methods of measuring work
hours, and training interventions.