Recommendations Provided for Managing Shift Work Disorder

THURSDAY, Nov. 5, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Recommendations are presented for managing shift work disorder (SWD) in a clinical practice guideline issued by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and published online Oct. 24 in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

Kenneth P. Wright Jr., Ph.D., from the University of Boulder in Colorado, and colleagues summarized the relevant literature and quality of evidence and developed recommendations for treatment of SWD.

The authors suggest taking armodafinil or modafinil 30 to 60 minutes prior to the night shift over no armodafinil or modafinil in adults with SWD with symptoms of excessive sleepiness associated with work schedule. In addition, use of bright light is suggested over no bright light during the night shift, as is use of caffeine taken prior to and/or during the night shift over no caffeine. For adults with sleep SWD with daytime sleep disturbance/insomnia, use of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is suggested over no CBT-I; use of melatonin is suggested over no melatonin. For adults with SWD seeking circadian adaptation to the night shift, use of bright light is suggested over no bright light during the night shift. The combination of bright light at night and fixed daytime sleep timing is suggested over the combination of no bright light and no fixed sleep time.

“There is no one‑size‑fits‑all solution for shift work disorder,” Wright said in a statement. “Our recommendations reflect the reality that patients have different schedules, symptoms, and constraints, and clinicians need flexible, evidence‑based strategies to help them function safely and sleep effectively.”

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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