The effects of age and shiftwork on perceived sleep problems: results from the VISAT-combined longitudinal and cross-sectional study.
OBJECTIVE
With the workforces in industrialized countries getting older, this study sought to determine how shiftworking affects sleep in later life.


METHODS
Longitudinal data were collected from a large sample in 1996, 2001, and 2006 from employees who were 32, 42, 52, and 62 years old in 1996.


RESULTS
The effects of shift work were most apparent in the early and middle years of working life. Former shiftworkers reported more sleep problems than both current shiftworkers and those who had never worked shifts. Giving up shift work off-set the age-related accumulation of sleep problems, with the net result that former shiftworkers showed little or no change in sleep problems over the three measurement occasions.


CONCLUSIONS
The effects of shift work on sleep may persist for a long time after giving up shift work but they are not permanent.
Tucker
Philip
P
Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom. p.t.tucker@swan.ac.uk
Folkard
Simon
S
Ansiau
David
D
Marquié
Jean-Claude
JC
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D020178:Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*
D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives