SELF-REPORTED SLEEP DISTURBANCES IN EMPLOYED WOMEN

To explore the incidence and types of sleep disturbances in employed women, 760 registered nurses completed a health survey that included questions about their sleep patterns and sleep quality. Comparisons are made between those nurses working permanent day, permanent evening, permanent night, and rotating shifts. As expected, there were higher incidences of sleep disturbances and excessive sleepiness for women working night and rotating shifts, but age and family factors, rather than caffeine and alcohol intake, contributed to the differences in types of sleep disturbances these women experienced.