Sleep and Sleepiness Measured by Diaries and Actigraphy among Norwegian and Austrian Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Pilots

Tine Almenning Flaa, Bjørn Bjorvatn, Ståle Pallesen, Erik Zakariassen, Anette Harris, Pia Gatterbauer-Trischler and Siri Waage
Additional contact information
Tine Almenning Flaa: Department of Research and Development, The Norwegian Air Ambulance Foundation, 0184 Oslo, Norway
Bjørn Bjorvatn: Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, 5009 Bergen, Norway
Ståle Pallesen: Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders, 5021 Bergen, Norway
Erik Zakariassen: Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, 5009 Bergen, Norway
Anette Harris: Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, 5015 Bergen, Norway
Pia Gatterbauer-Trischler: Department of Air Rescue College, Christophorus Flugrettungsverein, 1030 Vienna, Austria
Siri Waage: Norwegian Competence Center for Sleep Disorders, 5021 Bergen, Norway

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 7, 1-17

Abstract: The study examined sleep and sleepiness among shift working Helicopter Emergency Medical Service pilots from Norway (Norwegian Air Ambulance; NAA) and Austria (Christophorus Flugrettungverein; CFV). Both pilot groups (N = 47) worked seven consecutive 24 h shifts. Sleep was assessed by diaries and actigraphy while sleepiness was assessed by the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale, all administered throughout the workweek. The results indicated that all pilots had later bedtime ( p < 0.05) and wake-up time ( p < 0.01) as they approached the workweek end, but no change during the workweek was evident regarding wake after sleep onset, time in bed, total sleep time, or sleep efficiency. The NAA pilots had later bedtime ( p < 0.001) and wake-up time ( p < 0.001), spent more time awake after sleep onset ( p < 0.001), more time in bed ( p < 0.001), slept longer ( p < 0.01), and had lower sleep efficiency ( p < 0.001) compared with the CFV pilots. The sleepiness levels of all pilots were slightly elevated on the first workday but lower on the following workdays ( day 2 p < 0.001, day 3 p < 0.05). For both pilot groups, no major change in sleep or sleepiness parameters throughout the workweek was detected. The NAA pilots reported somewhat more disturbed sleep but obtained more sleep compared with the CFV pilots.

Keywords: sleep; sleepiness; shift work; long working hours; successive shifts; HEMS; air ambulance; somnolence; fatigue (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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