Principal Findings
sleep disorders, insomnia
DISORDERS
The main result of this study shows that physician-assisted internet-delivered CBT program in shift workers with a high risk of sleep disorders increased total sleep time, as measured using commercially available fitness trackers. After a 4-week intervention period, the mean daily sleep duration for 7 days (6.06 hours) showed a statistically significant increase compared with the baseline (5.54 hours; In a systematic review of interventions for shift workers, it was found that studies that improved sleep reported increases in sleep duration ranging from 0.34 to 0.99 hours in randomized controlled trials and from 0.02 hours to 1.15 hours for nonrandomized controlled trials [Contrary to expectations, this study did not find an improvement in subjective well-being except for “energy” in the morning. In addition, we did not find any improvement in burnout levels. However, the feature importance analysis of well-being prediction showed that sleep duration, steps, and type of shift were factors with high relevance. A possible explanation for these contradicting results might be that sleep is simply one component of well-being or that sleep deprivation may be the result of burnout. In a study on physicians, career satisfaction, work hours, and family support were among the most relevant factors affecting well-being [Furthermore, one of the significant features of the proposed internet-delivered CBT program is that it combines the benefits of physician assistance with the positive aspects of self-help apps, such as promoting self-reflection and facilitating behavioral change. Several studies have demonstrated that internet-delivered CBT with the involvement of physicians or therapists is highly effective. A systematic review comparing internet-delivered therapy with face-to-face therapy found no significant differences in outcomes such as sleep efficiency, total sleep time, and insomnia severity. In 10 out of 15 trials included in the review, physician or therapist involvement, including weekly feedback, was integrated into the internet-delivered therapy [Another feature of this 4-week intervention is that the target was shift workers with sleep disorders ranging from mild to severe symptoms who were not previously diagnosed with sleep disorders or other mental health disorders. Although shift work is associated with several health issues, shift workers are essential to the health care system. Although in severe cases, adjustment of shift schedules may be the best solution, this is not usually feasible for shift workers with mild symptoms. From an occupational health perspective, interventions to leverage the health of the overall working population are needed other than providing special treatment or absence for those that exceed preventive measures. Internet-delivered intervention allows users to engage in the program on their own time, allowing flexibility and instant support, and can be tailored to the user’s needs [