Coping with shift work-related circadian disruption: A mixed-methods case study on napping and caffeine use in Australian nurses and midwives

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Two of the most ubiquitous fatigue countermeasures used by shift-working nurses are napping and caffeine. This mixed-methods case study investigated the ways nurses and midwives utilised napping and caffeine countermeasures to cope with shift work, and associated sleep, physical health and psychological health outcomes.Materials and Methods: N = 130 Australian shift-working nurses and midwives (mean age = 44 years, range = 21–67, 115F, 15M) completed the Standard Shiftwork Index. A sub-set of 22 nurses and midwives completed an in-depth interview.Results: Nearly 70% of participants reported napping. Those who napped during night shifts had significantly less total sleep time before (F2,75 = 5.5, p < 0.01) and between days off (F2,82 = 3.9, p < 0.05). By the end of the night shift, average hours of time awake were significantly less for prophylactic and on-shift nappers compared to non-nappers (F2,85 = 97.2, p < 0.001). Since starting shift work, the percentage of high caffeine consum...