Sleep loss affects how paramedics and health-care workers respond to patients’ feelings

Sleep Loss Affects How Paramedics and Health-Care Workers Respond to Patients’ Feelings

A lack of sleep has a significant impact on people’s ability to empathize with others. Sleep deprivation and emotional fatigue can affect anyone, but first responders and health-care workers are particularly vulnerable due to their demanding work schedules and the stressful nature of their jobs.

The Impact of Sleep Loss on Mood and Emotions

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As a cognitive neuroscientist, I study how the brain thinks and solves problems. My research focuses on how sleep deprivation affects our ability to react quickly, remember information, solve problems, make plans, multitask, and regulate and understand emotions.

It’s well known that lack of sleep alters mood and emotions. We’ve all experienced the effects of a poor night’s sleep, feeling grumpy and irritable the next day. But we know less about how sleep loss impacts more complex emotional processes.

Moods and emotions are often thought of as the same thing, but they are actually quite different. Moods are short-lived, unlinked to a specific event, and can be either positive or negative. Emotions, on the other hand, are learned responses to situations or people and come in different shades and intensities.

The Impact of Sleep Loss on Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand someone else’s emotions and put yourself in their shoes. In a study we conducted in collaboration with Neurolab, we found that a single night of sleep loss significantly impaired people’s ability to understand the emotions of others.

We developed a computer task that showed participants images of people in negative, positive, and neutral situations. We then asked participants to describe what the people in the photo were feeling and how strong their own emotions were while looking at the pictures.

Our findings were clear: sleep-deprived students felt less empathy for people in negative situations than students who had had a good night’s sleep. But is it only extreme sleep deprivation that triggers this change?

We found that chronic poor sleep quality was also linked with lower empathy for others. One group of people that experiences chronic sleep loss due to job schedule is paramedics.

Paramedics Have Poor Sleep Quality

Following a shift work schedule for many years affects paramedics’ sleep quality. Paramedics are also the first to respond to patients in stressful and traumatic situations, so having empathy is an important part of their job.

Using the same computer task that we previously used with students, we tested paramedics with more than five years of experience and trainees who were studying to become paramedics. We found that the experienced paramedics reported poor quality of sleep and low empathy compared to trainees.

They also told us about their years of sleep issues and how they felt numb to other people’s pain. Emotional numbing, lack of empathy, and sleep disturbances are some of the symptoms experienced by people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Importance of Sleep for Health-Care Workers

During the coronavirus pandemic, frontline workers worldwide are experiencing more symptoms of insomnia, anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Recent media coverage has helped bring this to the public’s attention, reporting on a dramatic shortage of staff and poor working conditions in many provinces in Canada.

Our research shows that overworked health-care professionals are less empathetic to their patients’ needs compared to when they are well-rested. This finding should guide policy to ensure our health-care workers get the rest they need to help their patients to the best of their abilities.

Conclusion

Sleep loss has a significant impact on our ability to empathize with others. As a society, we need to prioritize the well-being of our health-care workers and ensure they receive the rest they need to perform their jobs effectively. By doing so, we can improve patient care and reduce the risk of burnout and PTSD among health-care professionals.

FAQs

Q: How does sleep loss affect empathy?
A: Sleep loss can significantly impair our ability to understand the emotions of others.

Q: Is it only extreme sleep deprivation that triggers this change?
A: No, chronic poor sleep quality was also linked with lower empathy for others.

Q: How does shift work affect paramedics’ sleep quality?
A: Following a shift work schedule for many years affects paramedics’ sleep quality.

Q: What are the symptoms of PTSD experienced by health-care workers?
A: Emotional numbing, lack of empathy, and sleep disturbances are some of the symptoms experienced by people who suffer from PTSD.