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Abstract
This pilot study evaluated a home-based cognitive-behavioral intervention—the Sleep Enhancement Training System for Shift Workers (SETS-SW)—in a sample of 21 nurses working night shifts. Participants (20 women and 1 man) received 2 home-based cognitive-behavioral interventions: a 4-week active control intervention, followed by the 4-week SETS-SW intervention. Sleep and circadian rhythms were assessed at baseline and after each intervention using questionnaires and 1 week of wrist actigraphy. After the SETS-SW intervention, participants reported better sleep quality, although no change in actigraphy outcomes was observed. Over the course of the study, participants also reported improved wellbeing and less appetite disturbance. A home-based cognitive-behavioral intervention may be useful for managing effects of shift work, but needs further evaluation in larger samples.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was supported by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (# R43 HL090110). The study was conducted at the University of California, San Francisco. Christopher R. Alsten was President of Inner Health, Inc., which developed the experimental intervention evaluated in this study. He is included as a posthumous coauthor based on his substantial contributions to the development of the study and his role as its principal investigator. We acknowledge Tom Jackson, MD for developing the 3D Living Sound©audio programs included in the Sleep Enhancement Training System for Shift Workers intervention and granting permission for use in this research. We also acknowledge Traci Coggins for her contributions to data collection and actigraphy analysis, as well as the research participants for generously giving their time.
