O061 Sleep hygiene guidelines for shift workers: consensus guidelines via a Delphi study

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Current sleep hygiene guidelines are impractical for shift workers, given their inability to maintain regular sleep schedules. Further, the present guidelines contradict fatigue risk management advice (e.g., advising against caffeine and daytime napping). The aim of the present study is to develop a set of tailored sleep hygiene guidelines for shift workers via a Delphi approach. Methods Draft guidelines were developed by the research team, who reviewed the current guidelines and examined existing evidence on sleep hygiene in shift workers. Experts from sleep, shift work, and occupational health fields (n=155) were invited to review these draft guidelines via a three-round series of online questionnaires. In each round, experts voted on each guideline, with consensus reached once there was 70% agreement on including the item as written. Expert feedback from each round was discussed and incorporated by the research team as appropriate. Results The research team drafted 17 sleep hygiene recommendations, covering sleep scheduling, napping, sleep environment, substance consumption, diet, and exercise. Of those experts invited, 68 (44%) agreed to participate, with 55 of these (81%) completing all three rounds. Consensus was reached on all original items after three rounds, with two additional items (medication use and sleep inertia) and an introductory statement developed, to create a final set of guidelines with 19 items. Discussion This is the first study to create evidence-based, expert-developed sleep hygiene guidelines for shift workers. Future research is planned to investigate the acceptability and implementation of the guidelines amongst end-users.