Sleep Survey for Medical Trainees (SSMT)

Sleep Survey for Medical Trainees: A Collaboration Between the World Sleep Society and National Sleep Centre / Sleep Societies

Background

This is a survey to understand sleep in the context of medical trainees (on call) and the participants knowledge about the relevance of sleep, shiftwork, and the impact that sleep may have on their working performance. The survey has been developed by sleep experts from America, Europe, and Africa, in collaboration with the World Sleep Society. It should take about 30-40 minutes to complete.

The survey will focus on three different aspects, complemented by two standard questionnaires:

1. Demographics and Place of Work
2. Basic Knowledge and Perception of Sleep
3. Sleep Routine
4. Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Insomnia Sleep Inventory

Study Overview

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Conditions: Insomnia; Sleep; Sleep Apnea; Circadian Rhythm; Shift Work

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 1000

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • London, United Kingdom, SE1 7EH
    • Kings College London

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Medical staff that undertakes on call work (medical student, intern, fellow, resident, consultant)

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• medical staff
• student / intern / fellow / resident / consultant
• delivering on call work
• any gender

Exclusion Criteria:

• non-medical staff working in hospitals from the wider multidisciplinary team
• underage (less than 18 years)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Medical staff; Anyone who works in medicine with any on call commitment (student, intern, fellow, resident, consultant)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Impact of being ON CALL in the hospital on sleep	Composite outcome as described by deviation from regular sleep in terms of sleep quality (points, out of 10; higher scores indicating more symptoms), quantity (duration, hours:mins), and deviation from circadian rhythm (measured in times of the day and duration, as well as perceived disturbance, points out of 10; higher points indicating more symptoms)	cross-sectional survey (while filling in the questionnaire); experience within 3 months of completion

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Demographics	Basic demographics, family status/children	within 3 months of completion of survey
Sleep routine	Sleep routine while ON CALL / not ON CALL (bed time, hours:mins; wake up time, hours:mins)	within 3 months of completion of survey
Epworth Sleepiness Scale	Validated screening questionnaire containing eight questions related to likelihood of dozing (min score 0, max score 24 points; higher scores indicate more symptoms)	within 3 months of completion
Insomnia Severity Index	Validated questionnaire assessing likelihood of insomnia (7 questions, min 0 / max 28 points; higher scores indicate more symptoms)	within 3 months of completion
Basic knowledge and perception of sleep	Impact of work/on call on sleep (duration of sleep, hours:mins; sleep quality, points out of 10; symptoms, points out of 10; higher scores indicating more symptoms)	within 3 months of completion of survey

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: King's College London

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Lim DC, Najafi A, Afifi L, Bassetti C, Buysse DJ, Han F, Hogl B, Melaku YA, Morin CM, Pack AI, Poyares D, Somers VK, Eastwood PR, Zee PC, Jackson CL; World Sleep Society Global Sleep Health Taskforce. The need to promote sleep health in public health agendas across the globe. Lancet Public Health. 2023 Oct;8(10):e820-e826. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(23)00182-2.
• Zhang C, Spruyt K, Komolafe M, Mutschelknaus M, DelRosso LM, Steier J. Relationship between shift scheduling, sleep knowledge and sleep quality in medical trainees: protocol for a global cross-sectional survey. J Thorac Dis. 2025 Aug 31;17(8):6339-6347. doi: 10.21037/jtd-2025-291. Epub 2025 Aug 28.

Helpful Links

• Sleep wellbeing (NHS Hospital)
• Working hours (UK Government)
• The health, safety and wellbeing of shift workers in healthcare environments (NHS)
• Health and Safety Executive: Fatigue (UK Government)
• Tips to consider to fight fatigue at work (Association of Anaesthetists)

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 28, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 11, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 22, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): November 26, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 20, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 18, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Medical training; on call; working time
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Respiration Disorders; Sleep Wake Disorders; Apnea; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Sleep Apnea Syndromes; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: MRA-23/24-45277

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED
• IPD Plan Description: Acquired data may be subject to underlying legislation (according to country, e.g. GDPR). In reasonable cases and upon written request / following ethics committee approval data sharing for the purpose of IPD analysis will be considered case-by-case.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No