The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between sleep hygiene, excessive daytime sleepiness and work hours among resident physicians in Chandigarh, India. Data were collected from 350 volunteering junior resident doctors and included sociodemographic variables, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) as measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), sleep hygiene as measured by the Sleep Hygiene Index and hours worked. Almost half of the resident physicians studied reported a problem of EDS and maladaptive sleep hygiene practices. Physicians working more than 80 hours per week and physicians with more maladaptive sleep behaviours were much more likely to report EDS. The authors propose that sleep hygiene and number of hours slept should be considered as EDS prevention and treatment strategies, especially for physicians working less than 80 hours per week. The authors also propose that the most salient intervention for physicians working more than 80 hours per week is one of workplace advocacy, where the government is encouraged to adopt legally binding guidelines as seen in other countries.
