Effect of Inadequate Sleep on Clinician Performance.

The negative impacts of sleep deprivation and fatigue have long been recognized. Numerous studies have documented the ill effects of impaired alertness associated with the disruption of the sleep-wake cycle; these include an increased incidence of human error-related accidents, increased morbidity and mortality, and an overall decrement in social, financial, and human productivity. While there are multiple studies on the impact of sleep deprivation and fatigue in resident physicians, far fewer have examined the effects on attending physicians, and only a handful addresses the accumulated effects of chronic sleep disturbances on acute sleep loss during a night call-shift. Moreover, the rapid and unprecedented spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic significantly increased the level of anxiety and stress on the physical, psychological, and the economic well-being of the entire world, with heightened effect on frontline clinicians. Additional studies are necessary to evaluate the emotional and physical toll of the pandemic in clinicians, and its impact on sleep health, general well-being, and performance.

Sleep in Residents: A Comparison between Anesthesiology and Occupational Medicine Interns.

Sleep deprivation is a significant risk to the health and judgment of physicians. We wanted to investigate whether anesthesiology residents (ARs) who work only one night shift per week have different physical and mental health from occupational medicine residents (OMRs) who do not work at night. A total of 21 ARs and 16 OMRs attending a university general hospital were asked to wear an actigraph to record sleep duration, heart rate and step count and to complete a questionnaire for the assessment of sleep quality, sleepiness, fatigue, occupational stress, anxiety, depression and happiness. ARs had shorter sleep duration than OMRs; on average, they slept 1 h and 20 min less (p < 0.001). ARs also had greater daytime sleepiness, a higher heart rate and lower happiness than OMRs. These results should be interpreted with caution given the cross-sectional nature of the study and the small sample size, but they are an incentive to promote sleep hygiene among residents.

Profiles of sleep changes during the COVID-19 pandemic: Demographic, behavioural and psychological factors.

This study aimed to evaluate changes in sleep during the COVID-19 outbreak, and used data-driven approaches to identify distinct profiles of changes in sleep-related behaviours. Demographic, behavioural and psychological factors associated with sleep changes were also investigated. An online population survey assessing sleep and mental health was distributed between 3 April and 24 June 2020. Retrospective questions were used to estimate temporal changes from before to during the outbreak. In 5,525 Canadian respondents (67.1% females, 16-95 years old: Mean ± SD = 55.6 ± 16.3 years), wake-up times were significantly delayed relative to pre-outbreak estimates (p < .001, ηp2  = 0.04). Occurrences of clinically meaningful sleep difficulties significantly increased from 36.0% before the outbreak to 50.5% during the outbreak (all p < .001, g ≥ 0.27). Three subgroups with distinct profiles of changes in sleep behaviours were identified: "Reduced Time in Bed", "Delayed Sleep" and "Extended Time in Bed". The "Reduced Time in Bed" and "Delayed Sleep" subgroups had more adverse sleep outcomes and psychological changes during the outbreak. The emergence of new sleep difficulties was independently associated with female sex, chronic illnesses, being employed, family responsibilities, earlier wake-up times, higher stress levels, as well as heavier alcohol use and television exposure. The heterogeneity of sleep changes in response to the pandemic highlights the need for tailored interventions to address sleep problems.

Self-quarantine and weight gain related risk factors during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to quantify the impact that self-quarantine has on behaviors associated with weight gain. METHODS: This was a quantitative descriptive/correlational research design. Research announcement was sent out via Facebook to 1200 possible participants. Six surveys were condensed into a single Survey Monkey questionnaire for participants to complete. Surveys asked questions relating to risk factors linked to weight gain. RESULTS: Ninety-one percent of our sample stated they spend more time at home now than before COVID-19. Twenty-two percent of the sample stated they gained 5-10 pounds. Within those who gained 5-10 pounds, there was a significantly higher percentage of the total sample who reported they increased eating in response to sight and smell (p = .048), eating in response to stress (p = .041), and snacking after dinner (p = .016) compared to those who stated they did not change those behaviors at all. There were significant relationships between predictor variables hours of sleep per night and physical activity time on reported weight gain (r = -.195, p = .021, r = -.155, p = .034, respectively). CONCLUSION: Risk factors for weight gain during self-quarantine are inadequate sleep, snacking after dinner, lack of dietary restraint, eating in response to stress, and reduced physical activity.