SLEEPING PATTERNS, DAY TIME SLEEPINESS AND ITS EFFECTS ON HOUSE OFFICERS AND RESIDENTS WORKING IN PUBLIC SECTOR HOSPITALS OF KARACHI

OBJECTIVES: To assess and compare the sleep patterns, day time sleepiness and its effects on daily routine of house officers and residents working in public sector hospitals of Karachi. METHODOLOGY: Through Stratified Based Convenient Sampling technique we collected a sample of 732 from house officers and residents working in three public sector hospitals of Karachi namely Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK), Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) from April to September, 2011. A self-administered questionnaire was used as a study tool assessing the sleep patterns, day time sleepiness and the effects of sleep loss on their daily routine. Epworth Sleepiness Scale was used to assess day time sleepiness. Reliability Analysis was done by Cronbach’s Alpha. Frequency and Percentages were calculated for categorical variables. Mean ± SD was computed for measurement variables. Non-Parametric analyses were performed for comparing attributes among three hospitals and between two designated target populations. RESULTS: House officers and residents in public sector hospitals of Karachi were found to take inadequate amount of sleep with a median of 6-8hours and 2 hours on non-call and on call nights respectively. On Epworth sleepiness scale 66% of the total sample scored in normal range with 33% in the range for which clinical consultancy is indicated. Among the three hospitals respondents in CHK reported highest level of day time sleepiness with ASH and JPMC ranking 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Resident’s perceptions of adverse effects of sleep were consistent across three hospitals. Their sleep loss has adverse effects on their learning abilities, behavior, physical, psychological and emotional well-being and relationship with their family and their sleep loss is hampering most of their social activities. CONCLUSION: This study added to the growing body of evidence that trainee’s long working hours and hectic schedule has adverse consequences on their sleep affecting their personal and professional lives. There is a need to reevaluate training programs to tailor policy according to human physiology since one cannot tailor physiology according to man-made policies.