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Quick Returns: A Quasi‐Experimental Field Study on the Effects on Sleep, Fatigue and Cognitive Performance
Kristin Öster 
,
Marie Söderström,
Philip Tucker ,
John Axelsson,
Göran Kecklund,
Anna Dahlgren
,
Marie Söderström,
Philip Tucker ,
John Axelsson,
Göran Kecklund,
Anna Dahlgren
Journal of Sleep Research
Swansea University Author:
Philip Tucker
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© 2025 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.
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DOI (Published version): 10.1111/jsr.70244
Abstract
As sleep restriction has negative effects on performance, ensuring sufficient sleep for shift workers is essential. Quick returns (< 11 h off between shifts) shorten sleep and are associated with increased fatigue and risk of accidents, but there is limited research on other aspects of cognitive...
| Published in: | Journal of Sleep Research |
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| ISSN: | 0962-1105 1365-2869 |
| Published: |
Wiley
2025
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| Online Access: |
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa71147 |
| Abstract: |
As sleep restriction has negative effects on performance, ensuring sufficient sleep for shift workers is essential. Quick returns (< 11 h off between shifts) shorten sleep and are associated with increased fatigue and risk of accidents, but there is limited research on other aspects of cognitive performance and work performance. The aim of the present quasi-experimental field study was to investigate the effects of quick returns on objective and subjective measures of sleep, fatigue and cognitive performance. In total 36 newly graduated nurses were followed during two pre-scheduled work periods, with and without a quick return (evening–day–day vs. day–day–day). They kept diaries of sleep and work, wore actigraphy wristbands to record sleep and performed 3 × 3 min smartphone-based cognitive tests (simple reaction time, episodic memory and Stroop) several times daily. Quick returns were found to shorten sleep by 46 min on average, and participants felt less rested in the morning and sleepier throughout the day. Sleep fragmentation and sleep efficiency did not differ between conditions but participants reported poorer sleep quality. Although the nurses reported cognitive impairments after a quick return, the estimated effects on simple attention, episodic memory and Stroop were small and overlapped zero. There were also indications of lingering fatigue on the second day shift after a quick return, but estimates are uncertain. In sum, quick returns shorten sleep and decrease subjective alertness, which could contribute to increased fatigue-related risk at work, but people seem able to mobilise necessary resources to maintain performance on short cognitive tasks. |
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| Keywords: |
backward rotation; recovery; safety; short rest periods; sleep deprivation |
| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
| Funders: |
This work was supported by the Forskningsrådet om Hälsa, Arbetsliv och Välfärd (2017-02032) |