Which individually-directed non-pharmacological interventions are effective at improving sleep outcomes in shift workers? A systematic review of systematic reviews.
Hawkes, R. E., Sugavanam, T., Benton, J. S., Thurley, N., Kyle, S. D., Ray, D., & French, D. P. (2025). Which individually-directed non-pharmacological interventions are effective at improving sleep outcomes in shift workers? A systematic review of systematic reviews. Sleep medicine reviews, 82, 102110. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2025.102110
This was a super interesting study out of Oxford (yes, that Oxford – very fancy), looking at how non-medication strategies can help improve sleep in shift workers. Why do I find this so fascinating? Well, because I hated night shifts. Honestly, most people do. But I really felt like my body just didn’t cope well with them. I’d get nauseous, exhausted, and often end up with a flu shortly after (probably due to poor sleep tanking my immune system). It’s also incredibly hard to be a good psychiatrist when you’re sleep-deprived – and I don’t like doing a bad job. So for me, it was a double whammy.
This article dives into how sleepiness affects our ability to function at work, and it's not just opinion – it’s a systematic review of systematic reviews. In research, a systematic review gathers all the best available studies on a topic to make sense of the evidence. So this is a review of those reviews. Talk about meta!
The team analysed 28 high-level studies, though they also pointed out that sleep research is notoriously tricky to compare across different papers. One of the authors had access to a digital insomnia therapy program, so it’s likely they have a particular interest in non-pharmacological sleep treatments.
Now here’s the kicker: we don’t actually have a “magic pill” for sleep. Despite how tempting sleeping tablets can be, they don’t really fix sleep. In fact, over-reliance on medication can make natural sleep even harder in the long run. Sleep isn’t something we’re born knowing how to do – babies have to learn how to sleep, and so do we. That means it can be trained and retrained, just like any other habit.
So what non-drug strategies actually help shift workers get better sleep?
Well, the evidence is still developing, and a lot of it is low quality. That said, some promising strategies include:
Light therapy: using bright light to reset your body clock.
Strategic napping during or before shifts.
Physical activity: regular movement can promote better rest.
Mindfulness and meditation: these may help, though more research is needed.
While none of these are silver bullets, they’re all low-risk and potentially helpful. If you’re a shift worker struggling with your sleep, it might be worth trying one or more of these strategies to see what works for your body.
Let me know if you try any of these – I’d love to hear how it goes for you.