Shift Work Sleep Disorder - Diagnosis

Diagnosis

The primary symptoms of SWSD are insomnia and excessive sleepiness associated with working (and sleeping) at non-standard times. Total daily sleep time is usually shortened by several hours despite attempts to optimize the sleep environment. Sleepiness is manifest as a desire to nap, unintended dozing, impaired mental acuity, irritability, reduced performance, and accident proneness. Shift work is often combined with extended hours of duty, so fatigue can be a compounding factor. The symptoms coincide with the duration of shift work and usually remit with the adoption of a conventional sleep-wake schedule. The boundary between a “normal response” to the rigors of shift work and a diagnosable disorder is not sharp.