INTRODUCTION: Satisfying sleep is especially important for physicians. Our study analyses physicians' sleep and dream from the point of view of continuous night-and-day duty.
SAMPLE AND METHOD: Questionnaires were completed by 125 physicians among whom the proportion of night shift taking and only day-time working persons was equal. The questionnaire contained the Athens Insomnia Scale and the Dream Quality Questionnaire as well as questions about demographical characteristics and work circumstances.
RESULTS: Almost each doctor mentioned sleep problems, principally daytime sleepiness (78%) and sleep deprivation (70%). Long sleep latency is reported more often by women doctors; the frequency of night awakenings increases, while daytime sleepiness decreases by age. The feeling of performance-loss is more prevalent among night shift takers. Dream characteristics differ significantly neither along demographical characteristics nor by work shifts.
CONCLUSION: Although sleep problems are more frequent among physicians when comparing to the Hungarian general population, the frequency of clinical level insomnia is not higher. On the other hand, physicians can recall their dreams more often (25% vs 7%) and the emotional load of their dreams influence their daytime mood more commonly.
