Night Shift Work and Sleep Disturbances in Women: A Scoping Review.

This scoping review aimed to synthesize evidence on sleep disturbances in female shift workers. The update Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews was used. Twelve studies were included, four of which used actigraphy to assess sleep duration, efficiency, and latency. Seven studies evaluated the quality of sleep and three verified the sleepiness of women. This review adds to the body of evidence as the findings are homogeneous and allow a robust conclusion, suggesting that night shift work may be a potential factor for adverse effects on sleep of female shift workers.

Are We Ready to Implement Circadian Hygiene Interventions and Programs?

Circadian hygiene, a concept not to be confused with the notion of public or social hygiene, should be discussed among experts and society. Light-dark cycles and other possible synchronizers of the human circadian timing system affect ways of life, including sleeping, eating, working and physical activity. Some of these behaviors have also been investigated individually as synchronizers (e.g., eating times). Therefore, the knowledge held today about circadian rhythms, and their implications for health, allows future perspectives in this field to be mapped. The present article summarizes the latest knowledge on factors influencing circadian rhythms to discuss a perspective for the future of health promotion based on circadian hygiene. However, it is important to highlight that circadian hygiene is the product of an imbrication of individual and societal involvement. First, it is important to adopt practices and devise public health policies in line with circadian hygiene. Second, individual healthy habits require internal rhythms to be examined. Last, the research agenda on circadian hygiene can be developed on a public as well as individual level, raising the question as to how much society is willing to embrace this change.

The effect of urbanization on sleep, sleep/wake routine, and metabolic health of residents in the Amazon region of Brazil.

Studying communities with different levels of urbanization may further the understanding of risk factors underlying metabolic diseases. The present study is unique by comprising detailed assessment of sleep and activity, biological rhythms, and metabolic factors of men from the same geographical location and place of birth that reside in different, rural vs. town, stages of urbanization. Sleep patterns, activity, and metabolic indicators in two groups (rural, n = 22 and town/urban, n = 20) of men residing in an Amazonian community (Xapuri, Acre, Brazil) were compared. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, and metabolic variables - fasting glucose, insulin resistance, triglycerides, total HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and VLDL cholesterol - were assessed. Sleep patterns, light exposure, and physical activity levels were additionally assessed by actigraphy, plus daily activities were recorded in diaries for 10 days. Town/urban dwellers were found to have significantly higher body weight, fasting glucose, insulin levels, and insulin resistance than rural dwellers, whereas triglycerides levels were similar. Town/Urban dwellers had shorter sleep duration (p < .01) and later sleep onset and offset times (p = .01). Our findings show an association between stage of urbanization and presence of risk factors for metabolic disorders, such as overweight, insulin resistance, increased glucose levels, short sleep duration, and less natural light exposure during work times.