Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 May 21;10(5):954.
doi: 10.3390/healthcare10050954.

Relation between Burnout and Sleep Problems in Nurses: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

María José Membrive-Jiménez  1 , José Luis Gómez-Urquiza  2 , Nora Suleiman-Martos  3 , Almudena Velando-Soriano  4 , Tania Ariza  5 , Emilia Inmaculada De la Fuente-Solana  6 , Guillermo A Cañadas-De la Fuente  3
Affiliations
Review

Relation between Burnout and Sleep Problems in Nurses: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

María José Membrive-Jiménez et al. Healthcare (Basel). .

Abstract

Burnout can affect nurses’ sleep quality. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between burnout syndrome and sleep problems in nurses. A systematic review with meta-analysis was performed. PubMed, CINAHL and Scopus databases were used. Some of the inclusion criteria were quantitative studies, in which the levels of burnout and sleep disorders were investigated in a sample of nurses using validated scales. A total of 12 studies were included. Sociodemographic variables did not influence the relation between burnout and sleep problems, except for being female. The environment and workplace violence, together with psychological traits and shifts, affect the probability of developing burnout and insomnia. The meta-analysis sample was n = 1127 nurses. The effect size of the correlation between burnout and sleep disorders was r = 0.39 (95% CI 0.29−0.48) with p < 0.001, indicating that the higher the level of burnout in nurses, the greater the presence of sleep disorders. The positive correlation between burnout and sleep disorders is a problem that must be addressed to improve the health of nurses. Developing turnicity strategies, using warmer lights in hospital units during night shifts and eliminating the fixed night shift could improve nurses’ working conditions.

Keywords: burnout syndrome; meta-analysis; nursing; prevalence; sleep disorders; systematic review.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow diagram of search process.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Forest plot of the relation between burnout and sleep problems.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bradley H.B. Community-based treatment for young adult offenders. Crime Delinq. 1969;15:359–370. doi: 10.1177/001112876901500307. - DOI
    1. Freudenberger H.J. Staff burn-out. J. Soc. Issues. 1974;30:159–165. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-4560.1974.tb00706.x. - DOI
    1. Maslach C., Jackson S.E. Maslach Burnout Inventory. Consulting Psychologists Press; Palo Alto, CA, USA: 1981.
    1. Maslach C., Jackson S.E. Maslach Burnout Inventory. 2nd ed. Consulting Psychologists Press; Palo Alto, CA, USA: 1986.
    1. Maslach C., Jackson S.E., Leiter M.P. The Maslach Burnout Inventory. 3rd ed. Consulting Psychologists Press; Palo Alto, CA, USA: 1996.