DISTÚRBIO DO SONO RELACIONADO COM O TRABALHO POR TURNOS

Shift work is essential in today's society, but it has a negative impact on workers' health. Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD) is a circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder that is underdiagnosed and affects workers' physical, mental, and social health. Given its relevance, this article aimed to review its pathophysiological aspects, signs and symptoms, treatment, and prevention strategies. This is a narrative review conducted through research of articles in the PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases using the MeSH descriptor "Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm" combined with the terms "diagnosis", "epidemiology", "pathology", "physiopathology", and "prevention and control". Articles written in English and Portuguese from 2000–2023 were selected, along with one 1995 article due to its relevance to the topic. The global prevalence of SWSD is 20–30%. It results from the central biological clock's resistance to adapting to night shifts and from the disruption of harmony between the homeostatic and circadian sleep processes, which determine sleep propensity. This dysregulation leads to a loss of 1 to 4 hours of daytime sleep after shifts and an 80% reduction in the effectiveness of slow-wave sleep, considered the most restorative. Clinically, it manifests as complaints of fatigue, decreased attention and cognitive performance, with implications for workplace safety, increased accident risk, absenteeism, and costs. Effective management includes organizational measures, training, and adoption of specific interventions.