Chandigarh: For doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers battling irregular shifts, a good night’s sleep can often be the first casualty. But poor sleep is not just about feeling tired the next day. PGI experts say recognising sleep disorders and managing shift-work fatigue are important for the well-being and clinical efficiency of healthcare professionals.From knowing when to have that cup of coffee to tweaking mobile screen settings and taking a strategically timed nap, practical ways to improve sleep took centre stage at a seminar on sleep health organised by the Continuing Nursing Education Cell at PGIMER Tuesday.Around 90 nursing officers, doctors, faculty members and other healthcare professionals attended the seminar, which focused on sleep hygiene, challenges posed by shift work and the long-term consequences of untreated sleep disorders.Dr Navneet Dhaliwal, joint medical superintendent, PGIMER, stressed the importance of sleep health literacy for both the personal well-being and clinical efficiency of healthcare staff.Putting the spotlight on a condition often dismissed as mere snoring, Prof Sandeep Bansal of PGIMER’s ENT department spoke about obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and its consequences beyond snoring. He outlined signs and symptoms that could help identify the condition, simple assessment scales for early risk evaluation and underlying anatomical causes.Bansal, who is also president of the Indian Association of Surgeons for Sleep Apnoea, highlighted weight management as an important preventive measure and discussed treatment options for adults as well as children.The shift-worker’s sleep dilemma was taken up by Dr Monika Sharma, former sleep adviser to the Indian Olympic contingent for the Paris 2024 Olympics. She discussed lifestyle changes, cognitive techniques and relaxation strategies that healthcare professionals can use to combat shift-work fatigue and improve sleep quality.Her advice also touched upon everyday habits that can disrupt sleep. She explained the role of caffeine and its timing, ways to optimise mobile-screen settings to reduce blue-light interference with the body clock, and the effective use of strategic naps.The seminar, titled “Sleep Health Literacy: Knowledge | Awareness | Better Health”, was held at PGIMER’s APC Auditorium.Three sleep fixes for shift workersWATCH THE COFFEE: Caffeine intake and, importantly, its timing can affect sleepTAME THE SCREEN: Optimising mobile-display settings can help minimise blue-light interference with the body clockNAP SMART: Strategically planned naps can help tackle shift-work fatigue
