Abstract
Background: In a world that never sleeps, the role of security personnel is vital in maintaining order, safety, and peace. While the responsibilities of security professionals are diverse and multifaceted, one aspect of their job that often remains hidden in the darkness is the relentless demand for night-duty shifts. This research delves into the often-overlooked consequences of night-duty shifts on security personnel. The study aims to investigate impact of night shifts on the physical health, psychological well-being of security professionals. By exploring the disruptions to sleep architecture, such as N2 stage of sleep, sleep efficiency, and the potential mental health implications like mental well-being, the research seeks to enhance understanding of the physiological changes in these dedicated professionals.
Methods: Using a novel quasi-experimental design approach, the study was conducted in AIIMS Bibinagar. Polysomnography (PSG) was used to monitor and analyze the sleep patterns of security personnel on night-duty shifts compared to off-duty periods. Additionally, mental well-being was assessed through validated mini state mental examination scores as psychological questionnaire.
Results: PSG parameters like sleep time have significantly decreased, sleep efficiency along with duration of sleep stages of N2 has significantly decreased. There is a notable rise in systolic blood pressure which can be correlated to a decrease in the sleep’s efficiency and total sleep time. These changes attributed to physiological changes due to sleep deprivation for the security personnel post night-duty shifts.
Conclusions: In conclusion, the reviewed literature and our current study clearly demonstrates the detrimental impact of night-duty on sleep architecture and mental well-being among security personnel. This study aims to provide the necessary evidence to develop and implement interventions that ultimately enhancing both personal and public safety.