The 21st International Conference “Man and Working Environment”
SAFETY ENGINEERING & MANAGEMENT SCIENCE, INDUSTRY, EDUCATION (SEMSIE 2025)   
PROCEEDINGS OF PAPERS 
25-26 September 2025, SOKOBANJA, SERBIA  

Milan Veljković , Snežana Živković 

ORIGINAL SCIENTIFIC PAPER

DIFFERENCES IN SLEEP QUALITY BETWEEN FIXED AND ROTATING SHIFTS 
AMONG MORNING AND EVENING TYPES  

Abstract:

This study examines sleep quality differences among 154 chemical industry workers (103 males, 51 females) categorized by chronotype (morning/evening) using the Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ). Participants worked either fixed or rotating shifts. The results show significant differences in sleep quality based on shift type and chronotype. Morning chronotypes in fixed morning shifts reported better sleep quality, while evening chronotypes surprisingly benefited from fixed morning shifts, experiencing the best sleep quality compared to those in rotating shifts. The findings highlight the importance of considering both chronotype and shift type when evaluating sleep quality. Circadian rhythm plays a crucial role in regulating sleep patterns, and shift work can disrupt this rhythm, leading to poorer sleep quality. The stability and predictability of fixed shifts provide advantages, even for evening chronotypes, by allowing them to establish routines and improve sleep quality.

Keywords:

Chronotypes, shift work, sleep quality, circadian rhythm 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

This paper is the result of research funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia.

REFERENCES:
  • Adan, A., Archer, S. N., Hidalgo, M. P., Di Milia, L., Natale, V., & Randler, C. (2012). Circadian typology: A comprehensive review. Chronobiology International, 29(9), 1153–1175. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2012.719971  
  • Åkerstedt, T. (2003). Shift work and disturbed sleep/wakefulness. Occupational Medicine, 53(2), 89–94. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqg046 
  • Alshahrani, S. M., & BaHammam, A. S. (2017). Impact of shift work on sleep and daytime performance among health care professionals. Annals of Thoracic Medicine, 12(3), 183–189.  
  • Arendt, J. (2010). Shift work: Coping with the biological clock. Occupational Medicine, 60(1), 10–20. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqp162 
  • Baehr, E. K., Fogg, L. F., & Eastman, C. I. (1999). Intermittent bright light and exercise to entrain human circadian rhythms to night work. American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 277(6), R1598–R1604.  
  • Boivin, D. B., James, F. O., & Wu, A. (2022). Blue-enriched light exposure during night shifts improves alertness and performance: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 37(1), 45–58. https://doi.org/10.1177/07487304211065432  
  • Burgess, H. J., Sharkey, K. M., & Eastman, C. I. (2002). Bright light, dark and melatonin can promote circadian adaptation in night shift workers. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 6(5), 407–420. Buysse, D. J., Reynolds III, C. F., Monk, T. H., Berman, S. R., & Kupfer, D. J. (1989). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: a new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Psychiatry Research, 28(2), 193–213.  
  • Caruso, C. C. (2014). Negative impacts of shiftwork and long work hours. Rehabilitation Nursing, 39(1), 16–25. https://doi.org/10.1002/rnj.107 
  • Costa, G. (2003). Shift work and occupational medicine: An overview. Occupational Medicine, 53(2), 83–88. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqg045 
  • de Bruijn, L., Berentzen, N. E., Vermeulen, R. C. H., et al. (2025). Chronotype in relation to shift work: A cohort study among 37,731 female nurses. Journal of Sleep Research, 34(2), e14308.  
  • De Martino, E., et al. (2013). Chronotype and shift work tolerance: A review. Chronobiology International, 30(3), 355–365. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2012.750971  
  • Dumont, M., Paquet, J., & Carrier, J. (2001). Circadian rhythm adaptation in shift workers: Effects on sleep and performance. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 5(3), 239–250. https://doi.org/10.1053/smrv.2001.0150  
  • Folkard, S., & Tucker, P. (2003). Shift work, safety and productivity. Occupational Medicine, 53(2), 95–101. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqg047 
  • Gradisar, M., & Lack, L. (2004). Circadian rhythm and sleep disruption in shift work. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 8(3), 203–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2004.02.003

  • Hadler, P., Neuert, C., & Lenzner, T. (2018). European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS). Cognitive Pretest. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions  
  • Horne, J. A., & Östberg, O. (1976). A self-assessment questionnaire to determine morningness-eveningness in human circadian rhythms. International Journal of Chronobiology, 4(2), 97–110.  
  • Horowitz, T. S., Cade, B. E., Wolfe, J., & Czeisler, C. A. (2001). Effects of partial circadian adjustments on sleep and vigilance quality during simulated night work. Journal of Sleep Research, 11(3), 265–274. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2869.2002.00323.x  
  • Jafari Roodbandi, A., Choobineh, A., & Daneshvar, S. (2015). Relationship between circadian rhythm amplitude and stability with sleep quality and sleepiness among shift nurses and health care workers. International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics, 21(3), 312–317.  
  • Jehan, S., et al. (2017). Circadian rhythm flexibility and shift work adaptation. Sleep Health, 3(3), 200–206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2017.02.007 
  • Juda, M., Vetter, C., & Roenneberg, T. (2013). Chronotype modulates sleep duration, sleep quality, and social jet lag in shift-workers. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 28(2), 141–151. https://doi.org/10.1177/074873041347855  
  • Ker, K., Edwards, P. J., Felix, L. M., Blackhall, K., & Roberts, I. (2010). Caffeine for the prevention of injuries and errors in shift workers. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2010(5).  
  • Kılıç, A., Koran, S., & Ağargün, M. Y. (2023). Healthcare shift workers’ sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and circadian preference. Comprehensive Medicine, 15(2), 156–164.  
  • Knutsson, A. (2003). Health disorders of shift workers. Occupational Medicine, 53(2), 103–108. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqg048 
  • Korf, H. W., & von Gall, C. (2022). Circadian physiology. In Neuroscience in the 21st century: From basic to clinical (pp. 2541-2576). Cham: Springer International Publishing.  
  • Potter, G. D. M., & Wood, S. (2020). Optimizing shift work schedules to improve circadian adaptation and worker health. Chronobiology International, 37(8), 1125–1139. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2020.1759836  
  • Roenneberg, T., Wirz-Justice, A., & Merrow, M. (2007). Life between clocks: Daily temporal patterns of human chronotypes. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 18(1), 80–90. https://doi.org/10.1177/0748730402239679  
  • Scott, A. J., Lack, L. C., & Lovato, N. (2024). The effects of short-wavelength light exposure on circadian phase and alertness in shift workers: A systematic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 68, 101654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2023.101654 
  • Sephton, S. E., & Spiegel, D. (2003). Circadian disruption and health consequences. The Lancet Oncology, 4(8), 497–505. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(03)01104-7  
  • Sharkey, K. M., & Eastman, C. I. (2002). Melatonin phase shifts human circadian rhythms in a placebo-controlled simulated night-work study. American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 282(2), R454–R463.  
  • Sharkey, K. M., Fogg, L. F., & Eastman, C. I. (2001). Effects of melatonin administration on daytime sleep after simulated night shift work. Journal of Sleep Research, 10(3), 181–192.  
  • Smith, L., et al. (1999). Effects of shift work on sleep and performance. Sleep, 22(3), 317–326. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/22.3.317 
  • Vetter, C., Devore, E. E., Ramin, C. A., Speizer, F. E., Willett, W. C., Schernhammer, E. S. (2015). Association between rotating night shift work and risk of coronary heart disease among women. JAMA, 315(16), 1726–1734. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.4454

© 2023 Faculty of Occupational Safety - Multimedia