The aim of this study was to describe patterns and potential risk factors for sleep disturbances, including that of sleep apnea, among Thai registered nurses. A descriptive, cross-sectional design was implemented. A sample of 233 registered nurses was recruited from 10 nursing departments from a tertiary hospital. Participants completed a one-time, self-report questionnaire and a 1 week-long sleep diary. Descriptive and logistic regression statistics were used for the analysis. Approximately 76% of nurses slept less than 7 h, 12.3% had difficulty initiating sleep, and 5% had difficulty maintaining sleep. Short sleep duration was prevalent, and night shift work schedules that exceeded 10 episodes/month were perceived as contributing to difficulties with initiating sleep. After excluding males from the analysis, the risk for depression related to short sleep duration becomes statistically significant. Organizational policies for registered nurses' shift work should include effective management of night shift assignments, as well as interventional strategies and policy directions, to promote sleep quality and mental health to ensure nurse well-being and patient safety.
Keywords: nurse; shift schedule; short sleep; sleep apnea; sleep disturbances.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.