A Personalized Recovery Intervention to Support Sleep Health in Emergency Healthcare Professionals.

Abstract

Optimizing sleep health in healthcare professionals is a challenge, as misalignment between endogenous circadian rhythms and exogenous work schedules undermines recovery, well-being, and performance. This study evaluated a tailored recovery intervention based on cognitive-behavioural approaches for insomnia designed to support recovery to rotating night shifts. In a randomized controlled trial (REST), 72 emergency healthcare professionals were randomized to intervention or control. The intervention combined personalized sleep-wake feedback with stress management techniques. Sleep-wake rhythms were monitored via actigraphy for 3 weeks before and 1 week after the intervention. Outcomes included objective sleep duration, self-reported sleepiness, insomnia severity, and subjective sleep quality, measured using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Insomnia Severity Index, and Leeds Sleep Evaluation Questionnaire. Fifty-nine participants (28 intervention, 31 control) were included in the primary analyses. Even on free nights, average nocturnal sleep duration was 6 h and 21 min, below recommended levels for adults. Compared with controls, intervention participants increased nocturnal time in bed by 37 min, 95% CI [13, 62], p = 0.003, and total sleep time by 23 min, 95% CI [4, 42], p = 0.019. Perceived sleep quality also improved for the intervention group t(55) = -7.91, p < 0.001, d = 2.06, 95% CI [1.42, 2.70], and insomnia symptoms decreased (β = -2.23, 95% CI [-4.26, -0.21], p = 0.031). These findings suggest that structured occupational recovery programs can enhance sleep health and facilitate recovery across rotating night work schedules. Integrating such interventions into training may reduce burnout, improve safety, and support workforce sustainability.