Sleep quality of night-shift nurses was categorized into four latent profiles, with only 44.4% having 'good sleep quality,' and perceived stress, sleep chronotype, monthly night shifts, weekly working hours, age, years of nursing experience, and marital status were significantly associated with sleep quality profiles.
The mean PSQI score among shift nurses indicated overall sleep problems within the group.
Latent profile analysis identified four distinct sleep quality categories among night-shift nurses.
Perceived stress was a significant factor associated with sleep quality profiles in night-shift nurses.
Sleep chronotype was significantly associated with sleep quality profiles among night-shift nurses.
Work-related factors including monthly night shifts and weekly working hours were significantly associated with sleep quality profiles.
Demographic and professional characteristics including age, years of nursing experience, and marital status were significantly associated with sleep quality profiles.
A notable proportion of night-shift nurses fell into sleep disorder profiles distinguished by sleeping pill use.
This research suggests that sleep problems are widespread among nurses who work night shifts. In a study of over 1,600 nurses from four large hospitals in China, researchers found that the average sleep quality score indicated sleep difficulties across the group as a whole. Using a statistical technique called latent profile analysis, they identified four distinct groups of nurses: those with good sleep quality (about 44%), those with moderate sleep quality (about 41%), and two groups with sleep disorders — one relying less on sleeping pills (about 10%) and one relying heavily on sleeping pills (about 5%). This means more than half of night-shift nurses were experiencing some level of sleep disruption. The research also identified several factors linked to which sleep group a nurse fell into. Nurses who felt more stressed, who had a natural body clock mismatched with night work (chronotype), who worked more night shifts per month or more hours per week, and who were older, more experienced, or had certain marital statuses were more likely to be in the poorer sleep quality groups. These findings highlight that sleep quality is not uniform among night-shift nurses — it varies based on a combination of personal, professional, and biological factors. This research suggests that hospital administrators and nursing managers should not treat sleep problems as a one-size-fits-all issue. Instead, targeted interventions — such as stress management programs, adjustments to shift scheduling, or sleep education tailored to different chronotypes — could be more effective than general approaches. The identification of a subgroup using high levels of sleeping pills is particularly notable, as it points to a group that may need more intensive clinical support.
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Upload Your LabsChu X, Lv J, Li G, Wang D. (2026). Latent profile analysis of sleep quality and associated factors on sleep patterns in night-shift nurses: a cross-sectional study.. Frontiers in public health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1800662