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DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1811911
Neurological Consequences of Sleep Deprivation Among Healthcare Professionals: A Systematic Review
Autoren
Introduction: Healthcare professionals have long suffered from sleep deprivation due to working over hours and stressful work environments. This systematic review assesses the neurological consequences of sleep deprivation observed in cognitive impairment, mood changes and overall mental health for this population.
Objective: Evaluate neurological impacts of sleep deprivation on healthcare professionals, in term of cognitive dysfunction and mental health disruption and to figure out strategies that combat these effects.
Methods: This study was searched on PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science database. The key terms used was: “sleep deprivation”, “healthcare professionals”, “neurological effects” and “cognitive function”. Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed studies and books published in the last 5 years and contain neurology-related evidences regarding sleep deprivation. The review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines.
Results: A total of 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. Those studies reveal significant effects of sleep deprivation has on healthcare professionals causing neurological impacts. Cognitive: insufficient sleep over an extended period impairs attention, memory and decision making. Research by Lockley et al. demonstrated that, in addition to affecting job performance and patient care. Mood disorders — Sleep deprivation leads to mood swings characterized by anxiety and depression. Findings by Rogers et al. elucidate that these mood disorders, in turn, increase emotional vulnerability and stress among medical.
Neuroendocrin e Disruption: Sleep deprivation also affects hormone levels, especially cortisol and circadian rhythm. Bowers et al. (2021) reported that these disruptions can lead to further mental health deterioration and increase burnout risk. This review underscores the neurological effects of sleep deprivation on healthcare professionals, impacting cognitive function, emotional well-being, and overall mental health. It is important to have efficient interventions for somethings as crucial as healthcare work. Better scheduling strategies, education on sleep and assistance with mental health are urgently needed to boost job performance and well-being of healthcare workers.
Conclusion: The results indicate that inadequate sleep affects cognitive and emotional health with implications for job performance, as well as patient safety. To support healthcare professionals, interventions need to be targeted.
Die Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht.
Publikationsverlauf
Artikel online veröffentlicht:
16. September 2025
© 2025. Brazilian Sleep Academy. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
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