Distributed teams working across the night in safety-critical industries experience stressful and fatiguing conditions, often compounded by circadian misalignment. While this disruption is known to impair individual neurobehavioral functioning, its impact on team-level processes remains underexplored. Hence, the aim of this study was to examine how night work impacts distributed team performance and cohesion. N=24 healthy, young individuals (M=25.38, SD=6.39 years, 13f) participated in a laboratory study undertaking one night of simulated night work. Through the night, distributed team members completed COHESION, a computer-based team performance task, at 18:00h, 22:00h, 02:00h, 06:00h and 10:00h. This task assessed individual cooperation, productivity and score, as well as team performance and dynamics. Measures of alertness and team cohesion were also administered. There were significant differences across time of night for productivity, team performance, and cohesion (p<.05, ƞp2>0.14), with poorest outcomes at 06:00h. There were also significant differences across time of night for cooperation and team dynamics (p<.05, ƞp2>0.14), with deficits seen at 06:00h and 10:00h. This study found clear degradation in team outcomes during night work, particularly during the circadian low. At this time of the night, team members exhibited diminished alertness and productivity, leading to poorer team performance and cohesion. As such, the circadian system played a crucial role in modulating team performance and cohesion. Additionally, cooperation and team dynamics eroded across the night, persisting beyond the circadian low. These findings highlight the vulnerability of teams working at night, especially in safety-critical industries where effective teamwork is essential. Statement of Significance Night-shift workers in safety-critical settings experience well-known impairments in alertness, yet the consequences of this biological vulnerability for teamwork have been largely overlooked. This study shows that team performance and cohesion decline markedly during the early-morning hours when the circadian system promotes sleep, revealing a critical window in which teams are most at risk of reduced effectiveness. Importantly, disruptions to cooperation and team interactions persisted beyond this period, indicating that fatigue had enduring effects on overall team functioning. These findings highlight the need to consider biological timing when planning overnight operations and encourage future work aimed at developing strategies to sustain cooperative team functioning during and after periods of high fatigue.

This cross-sectional study assesses cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in industrial rotating night shift and day workers. We examined 27 day workers; 40 night shift workers with high and 34 with low night loads. We assessed sleep, blood pressure (BP), pulse wave velocity (PWV), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), lipids, focusing on inflammatory markers, and adipokines. High load night shift workers had higher inflammation and lower adiponectin level compared to other shift workers and day workers. Night shifts of 8 and 12 hours shortened sleep. Number of night shifts was positively associated with inflammatory markers and negatively associated with adiponectin. Night shift work is associated with CVD risk factors. Shift schedules with fewer night shifts and longer recovery periods could mitigate it.

Unhealthy sleep patterns and irregular night shift work are associated with increased risk of allergic rhinitis: a large prospective cohort study.

Alterations in cardiovascular biomarkers and gut microbiome associated with night shift work: Insights from the Chinese platform workers study.

Shift work is associated with various leading causes of premature death, which has been linked with individuals with specific chronotypes. This study synthesized evidence on chronotype's role in associations between ever shift work and health outcomes. Six databases were searched (inception-September 2025) for cohort/case-control studies assessing chronotype-specific shift work impacts on breast/prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, and mental health. PRISMA guidelines were used for reporting. Fourteen studies were included in the review, comprising 2247 breast cancer cases, 3045 prostate cancer cases, 336 218 participants in diabetes studies, and 2128 poor mental health cases. Compared to daytime workers, both night shift workers with morning or evening chronotypes were more susceptible to breast cancer [morning type: pooled odds ratio (OR) 1.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-2.37; evening type: pooled OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.04-1.90) and poor mental health (morning type: pooled OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.12-1.27; evening type: pooled OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.05-1.17]. Notably, night shift workers with evening chronotype were 84% more likely to develop prostate cancer than daytime workers. A positive dose-response relationship was identified between cumulative years of night shifts and prostate cancer among night shift workers with evening chronotype, indicating a 2.1% increase in risk for each additional year (P=0.012). Chronotype-matched scheduling does not effectively mitigate night shift risks. Nevertheless, evening chronotype night shift workers are particularly susceptible to various chronic non-communicable diseases, with a notable positive dose-response relationship observed between prostate cancer and evening chronotype night shift workers.

Evaluation of diet quality among intensive care and emergency professionals working night shifts

To characterise differences in dietary intake, glucose variability, and activity in free-living healthcare shift workers with type 2 diabetes (T2D) across varying work conditions. Healthcare shift workers with T2D were monitored over 10 days, covering night shifts, day shifts, and rest days. Data were collected using blinded continuous glucose monitoring, activity trackers, and diet/sleep diaries. Within-person comparisons were made for mean glucose (MG), coefficient of variation (CV), mean absolute glucose change (MAG), mean amplitude of glycaemic excursion (MAGE), continuous overlapping net glycaemic action (CONGA), dietary intake (food choices, nutrient intake), and activity/rest periods. The study sample (n = 37; 89.2% women) were mainly employed as nurses or midwives (62.2%). Energy intake was highest (2199 kcal SD 648) on a day when a night shift was worked. Percentage of energy intake from sweet snacks was higher on a night shift compared with a rest day after a night shift (13.4 SD 12.0% vs. 7.8 SD 11.8%, p = 0.013). Night shifts had the highest eating occasions (7.0 SD 2.2) and rest after night (RAN) the lowest (3.4 SD 1.6), p < 0.001. No differences were reported for MG, MAGE, or CV. MAG and CONGA were higher for night shift compared with RAN shift (p = 0.029). Step counts were higher on night shift days (13,775, SD 4270 p = 0.016), and participants were awake longer (22.2 h SD 2.4 h, p < 0.001) compared with other day types. Night shifts are associated with prolonged wakefulness, increased activity, and distinct dietary behaviours. Tailored interventions are needed to support night shift workers with T2D in managing their condition effectively.

Background: Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a multifaceted health concern encompassing disturbances in desire, arousal, orgasm, and satisfaction, significantly impacting women’s quality of life. Despite growing female participation in night-shift occupations, data on their sexual health remain scarce in India. Aim: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of FSD among Indian women engaged in night-shift work, identify associated sociodemographic and occupational factors, and evaluate the impact of work duration and shift frequency on the severity of sexual dysfunction. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 154 female healthcare workers aged 21–45 years employed in night shifts for six months or more. Participants completed a semi-structured sociodemographic and occupational proforma and the validated 19-item Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and tests for linear trend, with a P value &lt; .05 considered significant. Results: The prevalence of FSD was 55.2%. Desire and arousal were the most affected domains, followed by satisfaction and pain. The prevalence of FSD was significantly higher among older women, those in upper socioeconomic classes, and participants working ≥ 15-night shifts per month or with shift durations ≥ 6 hours. Conclusion: FSD is highly prevalent among Indian women working night shifts, with occupational stress, irregular sleep schedules, and longer shift durations as major contributors. Addressing these modifiable factors through workplace interventions, counseling, and health education may improve sexual and overall well-being in this population.

Oxidative alcohol metabolism in the liver relies on sequential enzymatic reactions involving alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), cytochrome P450 2E1 (CYP2E1), and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) isozymes. However, the circadian regulation of these enzymes, their susceptibility to genetic, environmental, and metabolic disruption, and their functional implications toward alcohol-mediated tissue injury remain incompletely defined. To address this gap, we performed a comprehensive integrative analysis of the publicly available circadian transcriptome datasets spanning genetic clock disruption, acute sleep deprivation, chronic high-fat diet feeding, and occupational shift work to systematically characterize the temporal regulation and disruption vulnerability of the major alcohol-metabolizing enzymes. Mouse tissue-cycling analyses revealed pronounced gene- and tissue-specific diurnal regulation, with Adh1 oscillating primarily in adipose tissues; Cyp2e1 and mitochondrial Aldh2 cycling broadly across kidney, aorta, lung, adrenal gland, and liver; and cytosolic Aldh1b1 being uniformly arrhythmic. In the liver, Cyp2e1 and Aldh2 exhibited robust ~24 h oscillations that peaked during the light/resting phase, while Adh1 showed inconsistent rhythmicity and Aldh1b1 remained arrhythmic. Notably, Cyp2e1 and Aldh2 rhythms persisted in Bmal1 knockout and Clock mutant livers under light-dark conditions, despite complete loss of core clock gene oscillations, yet were abolished in constant darkness, revealing that systemic zeitgeber cues can mask the loss of intrinsic clock function to maintain apparent rhythmicity in these metabolic genes. Systematic cross-paradigm comparison established a novel gene-specific vulnerability hierarchy. Aldh2 was found to be most disrupted by environmental and metabolic perturbations, with acute sleep deprivation eliminating its rhythmicity and temporal expression pattern and a Western-style high-fat diet inducing pronounced phase delays and rhythm loss relative to low-fat diet controls. Both disruptions paralleled alterations in hepatocyte nuclear factor 4α (Hnf4a), newly implicating HNF4α as a potential mediator of ALDH2 circadian instability. In humans, ALDH2 and CYP2E1 exhibited conserved but phase-inverted circadian rhythms across multiple tissues relative to mice, and, importantly, night-shift workers showed markedly dampened and phase-shifted ALDH2 rhythms in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, providing the molecular link between occupational circadian misalignment and impaired acetaldehyde detoxification. Collectively, our detailed and innovative analytical approach reveals gene- and tissue-specific circadian regulation of alcohol-metabolizing enzymes, identifies ALDH2 as uniquely vulnerable to circadian misalignment, underscores the importance of circadian timing for optimal hepatic detoxification and resistance to tissue injury, and suggests that monitoring circadian rhythms could help tailor individualized advice on alcohol consumption for shift workers and populations with irregular sleep schedules, informing precision medicine approaches for alcohol-related disorders.

Shift workers exhibit a higher incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) than daytime workers. We examined whether this difference in CHD incidence between shift workers and daytime workers is associated with two dietary factors linked to lower CHD risk-daily fiber intake and meat avoidance-using UK Biobank data. The study included 222,801 participants (53.8% women; mean age 52.6years), categorized as daytime workers, shift workers with no or occasional night shifts, or regular night shift workers. Dietary habits were assessed via touchscreen dietary questionnaires. During a median follow-up of 12.6years, 12,265 fatal and non-fatal CHD events occurred. Compared with daytime workers, regular night shift work-but not shift work with no or occasional night shifts-was associated with higher CHD incidence (hazard ratio [HR] 1.10, 95% CI 1.01-1.20). HRs for CHD were higher (vs. daytime work) in both shift work groups among participants with lower daily fiber intake, whereas they were attenuated among those with higher fiber intake (p < 0.05 for interaction). Meat avoidance was associated with a 10.4% lower CHD HR compared with meat consumption (p = 0.020), although no significant interaction with work schedule was observed. In summary, while our finding that meat avoidance is associated with modestly lower CHD HR across work schedules aligns with established cardiovascular recommendations, our observation that higher fiber intake may reduce CHD differences specifically linked to night shift work highlights an additional, shift-specific dietary consideration that could complement the American Heart Association's Life's Essential 8.

The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among steelworkers is high due to occupational exposures including high temperatures, vibrating tools, and intense physical loads. Given the varying prevalence estimates and associated risk factors of WMSDs among existing studies and the lack of a meta-analysis dedicated specifically to steelworkers, this meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively evaluate the prevalence of and risk factors associated with WMSDs among steelworkers. A systematic literature search of the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, Ovid Medline, Wanfang Data, VIP Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and China Biomedical Literature Service System (SinoMed) databases for published studies reporting the prevalence of and factors associated with WMSDs among steelworkers was performed. Two reviewers independently screened citations, extracted information, and performed quality assessment of the included studies. Analysis of 35 studies comprising 38,774 participants revealed an annual prevalence of WMSDs of 69.2% (95% CI 56.7%-81.7%) among steelworkers. Subgroup analysis revealed a yearly prevalence rate of WMSDs in Asian nations of 72.1% (95% CI 53.3%-91.0%), which was greater than that for non-Asian countries. The annual prevalence rates reported for 2011-2025 differed significantly from those for 2000-2010 [78.0% (95% CI 67.1%-88.8%) vs. 55.5% (95% CI 40.3%-70.7%), respectively], with lower back injury accounting for the highest annual prevalence [57.2% (95% CI 50.0%-64.5%)], followed by the shoulders and neck [44.7% (95% CI 29.4%-60.0%) and 42.1% (95% CI 27.8%-56.4%), respectively]. At most anatomical sites, except the elbow and hip/leg, the 12-month prevalence was higher than the 7-day prevalence. Risk factors for WMSDs among steelworkers included age ≥30 years, smoking, psychosocial vulnerability, night-shift work, prolonged working hours, use of vibrating tools, lifting heavy loads, low education, high-risk jobs, and poor posture. Scheduled rest breaks were a protective factor. Steelworkers exhibited a substantial annual prevalence of WMSDs (69.2%), predominantly affecting the lower back, neck, shoulders, and knees. Prioritized implementation of integrated interventions is critical for ergonomic tool optimization, mechanical lifting assistance, targeted health training programs, and systematic high-risk group surveillance to reduce disease burden and safeguard worker wellbeing. [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero], identifier [CRD420251065458].

Relationship of sleep duration and sleep quality with Cardio metabolic Health, Inflammation, Oxidative stress and Antioxidants in night shift workers

ABSTRACTAimThis study investigated associations between late‐night shift work and perinatal outcomes.MethodsParticipants were pregnant women with recorded perinatal outcomes (late‐night shift group, 626 cases; non‐late‐night shift group, 6633 cases) identified from two Japanese Internet surveys. We analyzed the association between late‐night shift work and adverse perinatal outcomes. Furthermore, we examined factors associated with the use of Maternal Health Management and Guidance Cards.ResultsThe late‐night shift group had significantly higher rates of threatened miscarriage, premature rupture of membranes (PROM), use of the Maternal Health Management and Guidance Card, health problems requiring hospitalization, fetal health problems, and infectious diseases compared with the non‐late‐night shift group. However, other perinatal outcomes, including preterm birth, gestational age at delivery, mode of delivery, and birth weight, did not differ significantly between groups. Among late‐night shift‐working mothers, those who used the Maternal Health Management and Guidance Card had a higher incidence of hyperemesis gravidarum, threatened miscarriage, and preterm labor than those who did not.ConclusionsLate‐night shift work during pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk of perinatal complications. The Maternal Health Management and Guidance Card may provide support for pregnant women engaged in late‐night shift work.

Use of Apple Watch to Optimize Light Therapy and Reduce Circadian Misalignment for Night Shift Workers

Night shift work induced circadian misalignment and colonic barrier integrity in ulcerative colitis

Discordance in Physiological and Subjective Stress Measurements: Hair Cortisol, Self-reported Stress Scales and Heart Rate Variability in Healthcare Night-shift Workers

Disruption of circadian rhythms due to night-shift work is classified as a probable carcinogen for cancers of the breast, prostate, and colorectum by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Global epidemiological studies link chronic circadian clock disruption to increased risk of prostate cancer via hormone and metabolic dysregulation. This study investigated and compared the circadian expression patterns of core-circadian controlled genes (CCCGs) and nuclear receptors (NRs) under a normal 12-h light/dark cycle in normal mouse prostate and advanced androgen-insensitive prostate tumors derived from a transgenic mouse model of prostate adenocarcinoma (TGMAP). Our results showed that a total of eight CCCGs and 22 NRs exhibited rhythmic oscillations in the normal mouse prostate. In contrast, the rhythmic expressions of CCCGs and NRs were significantly disrupted in TGMAP prostate tumors, with a concurrent loss of androgen receptor expression. Circadian administration of cisplatin at a specific morning time point (chrono-chemotherapy), as applied in TGMAP tumor-bearing mice, demonstrated optimal antitumor efficacy, which correlated with the circadian rhythmic expression of DNA damage repair genes. Finally, we showed that chronic jet-lag conditions could promote the oncogenic growth of hormone-sensitive VCaP-derived xenograft tumors, with a correlation to elevated serum androgen levels and increased expression of enzyme genes involved in intratumoral androgen biosynthesis. Together, this study demonstrated that advanced prostate tumors exhibited dysregulated circadian transcriptional networks, as shown by their disrupted expression of CCCGs and NRs. The potential therapeutic application of chrono-chemotherapy in advanced prostate cancer management and the disruption of circadian rhythms under chronic jet-lag conditions could enhance prostate cancer growth.

Background: Sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances constitute modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Meta-analytic evidence demonstrates that short sleep duration (&lt;6h/night) increases T2DM risk by 28–33% (OR 1.28–1.33), while shift work elevates incidence by 9–40% (RR 1.09–1.40). Aims: The aim of this narrative review is to synthesise current epidemiological, interventional, and mechanistic evidence on how sleep disturbances and circadian rhythm disruptions influence type 2 diabetes pathophysiology in adults. Methods: A structured narrative review was conducted using literature from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar (2015–2025). Searches employed terms: "sleep duration glucose metabolism", "circadian rhythm type 2 diabetes", "clock genes insulin resistance", "shift work diabetes risk", "melatonin glucose homeostasis". Meta-analyses, systematic reviews, cohort studies, and randomized controlled trials were included. Results: Epidemiological evidence reveals a U-shaped sleep–T2DM relationship with optimal risk at 7–8 hours/night. Short sleep (&lt;6h) and long sleep (&gt;9h) both increase T2DM risk (OR 1.28–1.48). Night shift work elevates risk dose-dependently (RR 1.40, 95% CI 1.15–1.71) across 1.16 million participants. Molecular mechanisms involve desynchronized clock genes (CLOCK, BMAL1, PER2, CRY1), mitochondrial dysfunction reducing oxidative capacity 20–30%, and altered melatonin signaling. Sleep extension interventions improve insulin sensitivity 17–45% within 1 week. Evening chronotherapy with glucose-lowering drugs demonstrates superior efficacy compared to morning dosing. CBT-I (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia) reduces T2DM incidence by 42% in prediabetic populations. Conclusion: Sleep and circadian optimization represent cost-effective, modifiable strategies for T2DM prevention. Personalized chronotherapy guided by genetic profiling and objective sleep/activity monitoring warrants implementation in clinical practice and public health policies.

We sought to evaluate whether rotating night shift work increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, particularly among women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We included 50 122 Nurses' Health Study II participants who were parous at baseline in 1989 or at any time during follow-up through 2019. Using multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models, we estimated the HRs and 95% CIs for the associations between cumulative years of rotating night shift work and incident type 2 diabetes, overall, and by history of GDM. Compared with participants who never engaged in rotating night shift work, we observed a graded increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes with cumulative years of rotating night shift work: HR (95% CI) 1.14 (1.04 to 1.24) for <5 years, 1.32 (1.17 to 1.49) for 5-10 years and 1.32 (1.16 to 1.50) for >10 years (p-linear trend <0.001). Stratifying by history of GDM, we observed a similar pattern of associations among participants without a history of GDM, but not among those with a history of GDM (p-interaction=0.02). History of GDM was strongly associated with risk of incident type 2 diabetes in all women, including those who never worked rotating night shifts: HR (95% CI) 4.76 (3.90 to 5.81). Cumulative years of rotating night shift work were modestly associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, overall, and among nurses without a history of GDM. Rotating night shift work was not associated with risk of type 2 diabetes among individuals with a history of GDM, an exceptionally high-risk subgroup for type 2 diabetes.

Healthy psychology is a crucial factor in determining nurses' ability to provide high-quality nursing care to patients. Therefore, it is essential to detect the risk of nurses' psychological disturbance and provide early intervention. This study aimed to investigate the psychological status of nurses and develop a nomogram model to predict the incidence of psychological disturbance in Chinese nurses. This study was part of the Chinese Nurse Cohort Study, and the data of 3,808 nurses were obtained from multiple tertiary hospitals in China. Data related to psychological disturbance were collected using the Symptom Checklist 90. Predictor selection was guided by the Job Demands-Resources model, encompassing 26 variables across three domains: living conditions, working situation and psychosocial indicators. Predictors were selected via stepwise regression, and a logistic regression model was developed to construct a predictive nomogram. Model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, decision curve analysis, bootstrap approach and 10-fold cross-validation. Independent protective indicators for nurses' psychological disturbance included perceived social support, organizational career management, weekly leisure time, regular meals and published articles, while risk indicators included negative acts, working years, raising children, patients in day shift care and night shift work hours. All these variables were used to establish the nomogram. In the nomogram, the area under the ROC curves was 0.803 (95% CI: 0.786-0.819). The average AUC of bootstrap approach was 0.810 (95% CI: 0.785-0.817), and the average AUC of 10 fold cross-validation was 0.794 (ranging from 0.749 to 0.841), indicating that the model was stable. The DCA suggested good clinical application. This study developed a prediction model to evaluate the risk of psychological disturbance among nurses for the first time. Nursing managers can use this visualized prediction model to predict the risk of nurses' psychological disturbance, identify individualized risk factors, and implement preventive measures to reduce the occurrence of psychological disturbances among nurses.