Parasomnias related to shift work disorder among medical residents during the first year of training in Mexico.
Jaime Ariza-Serrano, Daniel Santana-Vargas, Gabriela Millan-Rosas, Rafael Santana-Miranda, León Rosenthal, Adrián Poblano
Sleep and biological rhythms January 2023 DOI: 10.1007/s41105-022-00422-4 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional comparative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 126 |
| Population | Medical residents |
| Measures | Munich Parasomnia Screening questionnaire, Barger Questionnaire for SWD |
| Keywords | Medical residents Nrem parasomnias Shift work disorder |
| Key findings | Medical residents with shift work disorder had higher relative risks of several parasomnias than residents without it, including sleep terrors (RR 5.60), confusional arousals (RR 3.73), sleep paralysis (RR 3.27), hypnagogic/hypnopompic hallucinations (RR 2.55), somniloquies (RR 2.45), and nightmares (RR 2.01). The authors suggest SWD may lower the threshold for REM and NREM parasomnias, and call for further research. |
Abstract
Shift work disorder (SWD) may affect medical residents because their workload, academic demands and extended work hours. This condition set residents at risk of more sleep disorders. The study compared parasomnias among residents with and without shift work disorder (SWD) and weighed their relative risk (RR) for each parasomnia. One hundred twenty-six residents participated in the study. The Munich Parasomnia Screening questionnaire and the Barger Questionnaire for SWD were used for the screening of parasomnias and SWD, respectively. Means and percentages of studied variables were compared between groups. Relative risk (RR) was calculated for each type of parasomnia. The more frequent parasomnias in residents with SWD the RR (and 95% confidence intervals) were: sleep terrors, 5.60 (1.84-17.01); confusional arousals, 3.73 (1.84-7.56); sleep paralysis, 3.27 (1.53-6.93); hypnagogic/hypnopompic hallucinations, 2.55 (1.03-6.28); somniloquies, 2.45 (1.21-4.92); and nightmares, 2.01 (1.54-2.62). Our data suggest that residents who experience SWD may be at risk of having lower threshold for the occurrence of rapid eye movement (REM) and non-REM (NREM) sleep parasomnias. Additional research is needed to confirm these results, and to further identify the contribution to this association.