Abstract
BACKGROUND: Healthcare workers often encounter inadequate sleep conditions. However, limited research has examined the underlying sleep patterns among healthcare workers. This study aimed to identify sleep patterns in healthcare workers, explore predictors associated with various sleep patterns, and investigate the relationship between sleep patterns and psychiatric symptoms. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Shenzhen, China, from April 2023 to June 2023. In total, data from 1,292 participants were included using a convenience sampling method. A latent profile analysis was conducted to identify sleep patterns based on the seven dimensions of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the influence of socio-demographic variables on each profile. A one-way ANOVA test was employed to examine the relationships between sleep patterns and psychiatric symptoms. RESULTS: Three distinct profiles were identified: good sleepers (63.9%), inefficient sleepers (30.3%), and poor sleepers (5.7%). Multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that gender and marital status were predictors of various sleep patterns. The ANOVA revealed significant differences in psychiatric symptoms scores among the three sleep patterns; poor sleepers exhibited the highest levels of mental distress. CONCLUSION: This study identified three distinct sleep patterns in healthcare workers and their significant associations with psychiatric symptoms. These findings contribute to the development of targeted intervention strategies aimed at improving sleep and reducing psychiatric symptoms among healthcare workers.