Søvn og søvnighet hos norske og østerrikske helikopterpiloter i akuttmedisinsk tjeneste
Forskere fra Norsk luftambulanse, Universitetet i Bergen, Nasjonal kompetansetjeneste for søvnsykdommer og Department of Air Rescue College - Østerrike har i denne studien undersøkt søvn og søvnighet blant 47 skiftarbeidende piloter fra Norsk Luftambulanse og Christophorus Flugrettungverein i Østerrike. Begge pilotgruppene jobbet syv påfølgende 24 timers skift, og søvn ble undersøkt med søvndagbok og aktigrafi, mens søvnighet ble vurdert av Karolinska Sleepiness Scale. For begge pilotgruppene ble det ikke påvist noen større endring i søvn- eller søvnighet gjennom arbeidsuken. Pilotene fra Norge rapporterte noe mer forstyrret søvn, men de hadde økt søvnlengde sammenlignet med pilotene fra Østerrike.
Publisert 27.05.2022
Tine Almenning Flaa, Bjørn Bjorvatn, Ståle Pallesen, Erik Zakariassen, Anette Harris, Pia Gatterbauer-Trischler, Siri Waage
Studien er publisert i International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
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 2p < 0.001, day 3p < 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.