Prevalence of sleep disturbance and associated factors among nurses in Chinese tertiary public hospitals: a national cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND

Sleep disturbance is a critical occupational health issue among nurses, jeopardizing their well-being and patient safety. Identifying its prevalence and modifiable factors is essential for developing effective interventions.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to determine the national prevalence of sleep disturbance and explore associated demographic, occupational, and behavioral factors among Chinese nurses.

METHODS

In this nationwide cross-sectional study, we analyzed baseline data from the Nurses' Mental Health Study (NMHS), a primary database established and maintained by the authors. A total of 132,910 nurses from 67 tertiary public hospitals in China were included between December 2023 and January 2024. Data were collected electronically via a structured questionnaire. Chi-square tests and binary logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with sleep disturbances.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of sleep disturbances was 24.1%. Difficulty initiating sleep (13.3%), difficulty maintaining sleep (15.5%), and early morning awakening (15.4%) were most common, with higher rates in critical care, emergency, pediatrics, and obstetrics. Factors associated with increased odds of sleep disturbance included age (30-39 years), female sex, intermediate professional title, lower education, longer working experience, night shift work, smoking, alcohol use, and physical inactivity.

CONCLUSION

Sleep disturbance is prevalent among Chinese nurses and associated with scheduling patterns and health behaviors. To mitigate risk, healthcare organizations should optimize shift schedules, enhance support for high-risk nurses, and allocate resources to high-burden clinical departments. Nurses are also encouraged to adopt healthier lifestyles to improve sleep quality and occupational safety.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: Identifier ChiCTR2300072142.