Effects of Operational Naps on Blood Pressure and Performance Among Night Shift Workers
ConditionShift Work
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18+
SponsorUniversity of Pittsburgh
About this trial
Night shift work schedules disrupt sleep and have a negative impact on cardiovascular health. Most who work in public safety occupations and in healthcare work night shifts. These workers experience abnormal blood pressure during night shifts and are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Napping during night shifts can help to restore blood pressure patterns to a more normal pattern and may help to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease. Naps may also have an impact on alertness and performance immediately upon waking. The overarching goal of this study is to determine which duration of a nap taken during simulated night shift work has the greatest impact blood pressure and post-nap performance.
Researchers will compare 5 nap durations to see which has the greatest impact on blood pressure patterns and post-nap psychomotor performance.
Researchers hypothesize that longer naps will lead to improved blood pressure outcomes and shorter naps will contribute to better performance after waking.
Findings will help employers and employees who work night shifts determine how best to incorporate brief naps during night shift work.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
non-pregnant adults (>18 years of age)
certified public safety/healthcare shift worker
is an active shift worker
resides within the Western Pennsylvania region within reasonable driving distance
Disqualifiers
current use of medication for cardiovascular disease (e.g., hypertension)
prior or current diagnosis of sleep apnea, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, stroke, chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease, rheumatologic disease requiring prescription medication, and cancer requiring treatment in past 2 years
undiagnosed severe sleep apnea (Apnea-Hypopnea Index >30) based on at-home test
Abstains from caffeine or reports adverse effects from caffeine use
Trial design
Design model
Crossover
Treatments tested in this trial
No-nap
BehavioralNo-nap opportunity offered
15-min nap
BehavioralA 15-minute nap opportunity at 02:00am
30-min nap
BehavioralA 30-minute nap opportunity at 02:00am
45-min nap
BehavioralA 45-minute nap opportunity at 02:00am
60-min nap
BehavioralA 60-minute nap opportunity at 02:00am
Treatment groups
130 Participants
are divided into 1 treatment groupGroup A: Napping orderOther 5 interventions
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
BP dipping
The ratio of mean sleep to mean wake blood pressure (BP) by taking the difference between the mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) during nap opportunities, and the mean SBP and DBP during wake periods.
Time frame
During simulated night shift, 12 hours2
Psychomotor performance post-nap
Severe psychomotor impairment post-nap as measured by the Psychomotor Vigilance Test Brief (PVT-B)
Time frame
During simulated night shift, greater than or equal to 10 minutes post intervention napSecondary outcomes
1
Performance on simulated patient scenarios
Change in performance pre-to-post nap. Performance rated from 0-100 with higher scores indicating better performance. Positive change indicates improved performance.
Time frame
During simulated night shift, 12 hoursSponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
University of Pittsburgh
Lead sponsor
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov