Shift work keeps essential services operating, but often at a cost to workers' health. Nurses, who frequently work irregular hours, may be particularly susceptible to disrupted sleep and weakened immune function. A recent study found that sleep debt and night shift work may elevate nurses' risk of common infections by as much as 50%.

Researchers analyzed data from more than 1,300 nurses (average age, 42 years). Participants reported their typical sleep duration, how much sleep they needed, whether they worked night shifts, and how often they experienced infections, such as colds, pneumonia, sinusitis, or gastrointestinal infections, over the previous three months. The researchers used statistical methods to examine links between sleep patterns, shift schedules, and infection risk while accounting for age, sex, and whether the nurses had children at home.

Nurses with greater sleep debt faced a higher risk of multiple infections. Those who slept one to two hours less than necessary were about 30% more likely to experience a cold, while those with more than two hours of sleep debt had more than double the risk. The risk of pneumonia, bronchitis, sinusitis, and gastrointestinal infections also rose with greater sleep debt. Working night shifts was linked to a 28% higher risk of experiencing a cold, and those with more frequent night shifts were nearly 50% more likely to report having a cold.

These findings suggest chronic sleep debt and night shift work compromise the immune system, making nurses more susceptible to infections. Learn about practical ways to manage the risks of shift work in this episode featuring Dr. Satchin Panda.