PLX Academy · Personal Experience · 18 April 2022
The awareness of the problem of sleep disorders among doctors does not simply protect this professional group against the condition. Being a doctor requires exceptional work skills under high pressure of responsibility for human life, the ability to cope with stress, work at night and the need to meet the requirement of continuous training. Physicians’ mental health concerns affect the quality of life of caregivers, patient experience, healthcare expenditures and occupational turnover.
More than half of US physicians report burnout. Sleep deficiency is common—often a consequence of rotating or shifts with extended-duration, night calls and competing demands. Sleep disturbance is a predictor of depression and insufficient sleep may contribute to the development of burnout. Medical residents report that prolonged working hours negatively affect their quality of life. These factors suggest that sleep deficiency may be an underlying contributor to poor mental health in physicians.
“Sleep disorders not only harm an individual’s health in multiple ways, but they can also lead to impaired work functioning among healthcare providers and create a financial burden for a healthcare organization. Our study indicates that a substantial number of healthcare workers suffer from symptoms of a sleep disorder. This means they could be putting their own health and their patients’ health at risk,” says Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer, Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Sleep Disorders Center.
There are some tips for getting a good night’s sleep, according to Cleveland Clinic:
- Create an optimal sleep environment by making sure that the bedroom is comfortable, cool, quiet and dark. If noise keeps you awake, try using background sounds like “white noises” or earplugs. If light interferes with your sleep, try a sleep mask or blackout curtains.
- Think positive.Avoid going to bed with a negative mindset, such as “If I don’t get enough sleep tonight, how will I ever get through the day tomorrow?”
- Avoid using your bed for watching television, eating, working or using computers in your bedroom.
- Try to clear your mind before bedtime by writing things down or making a to-do list earlier in the evening. This is helpful if you tend to worry and think too much in bed at night.
- Establish a regular and relaxing bedtime routine each night by taking a warm bath, listening to soothing music or reading. Try relaxation exercises, meditation, biofeedback or hypnosis. Wake up at the same time each morning, including days off and vacations.
- Stop clock watching. Turn the clock around and only use the alarm for waking up. Leave your bedroom if you cannot fall asleep in 20 minutes. Read or engage in a relaxing activity in another room.
- Avoid stimulants (coffee, tea, soda/cola, cocoa and chocolate) and heavy meals for at least four hours before bedtime. Light carbohydrate snacks such as milk, yogurt or crackers may help you fall asleep easier.
- Avoid alcohol and tobacco for at least four hours before bedtime and during the night.
- Exercise regularly but not within four hours of bedtime if you have trouble sleeping.
Sleep disorders may not be deadly but they affect quality of life so often and so severely that they can disrupt thinking, weight, work performance, mental health and your general physical health. Health, and therefore quality of life, depends on good sleep.