Sleep and sleepiness in shift-working tram drivers

Jussi Onninen; Tarja Hakola; Sampsa Puttonen; Asko Tolvanen; Jussi Virkkala; Mikael Sallinen

doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2020.103153

Sleep and sleepiness in shift-working tram drivers

Appl Ergon. 2020 Oct:88:103153. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2020.103153. Epub 2020 Jun 16.

Authors

Jussi Onninen¹, Tarja Hakola², Sampsa Puttonen², Asko Tolvanen³, Jussi Virkkala⁴, Mikael Sallinen⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland; Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: jussi.onninen@jyu.fi.
² Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.
³ Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland.
⁴ Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
⁵ Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland; Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Helsinki, Finland.

PMID: 32678773
DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2020.103153

Abstract

Driver sleepiness contributes to traffic accidents. However, sleepiness in urban public transport remains an understudied subject. To fill this gap, we examined the sleepiness, sleep, and on-duty sleepiness countermeasures (SCMs) in 23 tram drivers working morning, day, and evening shifts for three weeks. Sleepiness was measured using Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS). Nocturnal total sleep time (TST) was measured with wrist actigraphy. SCMs and naps were self-reported with a smartphone application. Caffeine and napping were considered effective SCMs. Severe sleepiness (KSS ≥ 7) was observed in 22% of shifts with no differences between shift types. Rest breaks were associated with slight reductions in sleepiness. TST between days off averaged 7 h but was 1 h 33 min and 38 min shorter prior to morning and day shifts, respectively. The use of effective SCMs showed little variance between shift types. These results highlight the need for fatigue management in non-night-working tram drivers.

Keywords: Driver fatigue; Sleep loss; Urban transportation.

Publication types

Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

Accidents, Traffic / prevention & control
Accidents, Traffic / psychology
Adult
Automobile Driving / psychology*
Caffeine
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Sleep / physiology*
Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm / physiopathology*
Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm / psychology
Sleepiness*
Time Factors*
Transportation
Work Schedule Tolerance

Substances

Caffeine