Naps at work may cut sleepiness, but reaction times showed no clear change

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   This review combined 13 studies of adults aged 18 and over who worked shifts, and not all were emergency medical staff. The paper does not give the total number of people.

2. 02

   What they did

   Nap groups had a protected chance to sleep during the shift, with 15 to 120 minutes allowed, depending on the study. The other groups had no nap. Several studies had the same people try both, on different shifts.

3. 03

   What happened

   Sleepiness was lower after a nap at the end of a shift (2 studies), and it rose less over a shift. Reaction times showed no clear difference (3 studies), though the summary says naps improved performance. The evidence was rated very low quality, and two sleepiness results have identical ranges, so check them.

What the review found

1. No differenceFocus

   Across 3 studies, napping made no clear difference to reaction time at the end of a shift.

   Pooled analysis of 3 studies · vs people who did not nap · the authors rated their certainty very low · ⚠ most studies had serious flaws; mixes trials with other kinds of study

2. HelpedOther outcomes

   Across 2 studies, napping left people less sleepy at the end of a shift.

   Pooled analysis of 2 studies · vs people who did not nap · they rated themselves · the authors rated their certainty very low · ⚠ most studies had serious flaws; mixes trials with other kinds of study

Source