Key Points
Norwegian study links sleep debt to increased infection risks
Night shifts correlate with higher common cold probability
Healthcare workers most vulnerable to immune system challenges
According to researchers from Norway, sleep debt, defined as the gap between sleep need and actual sleep duration, increased infection risk in a dose-dependent manner.
The study, published in the journal Chronobiology International, examined the effects of sleep patterns and shift work on the immune system among 1,335 nurses from Norway.
The findings showed that shift work -- particularly night shifts -- was associated with a higher risk of several infections, including the common cold. The risk of pneumonia/bronchitis was 129 per cent higher for nurses with moderate sleep debt and 288 per cent for severe sleep debt.
Both sinusitis and gastrointestinal infections also showed higher risks with increasing levels of sleep debt.
"These findings highlight the need for tailored interventions to reduce infection risks among healthcare workers," said Siri Waage, from the Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen.
"Sleep debt and irregular shift patterns, including night work, not only compromise nurses' immune health but could also impact their ability to provide high-quality patient care," Waage added.
In the study, the participants -- mostly female nurses (90.4 per cent), with an average age of 41.9 years -- reported their sleep duration, sleep needs, shift work patterns, and how often they had experienced specific infections over the past three months.
Nurses with moderate sleep debt (one to 120 minutes less sleep than needed) had a 33 per cent higher risk of the common cold, while those with severe sleep debt (more than two hours) had more than double compared to those with no sleep debt.
The analysis also revealed that night work was linked with an increased risk of the common cold, but was not associated with any of the other infections examined. The study emphasises the importance of adequate sleep and shift management in reducing susceptibility to infection.
