Research project Recovery in shift work
Recovery is a key factor for well-being and performance. Recovery can be defined as the process of psychophysiological unwinding after effort, during which mental and physiological resources are replenished. Sleep is an important factor for recovery, but recovery can also take place through different recovery activities while awake.
This is a research project funded by AFA Insurance that investigates different aspects of recovery in relation to irregular working hours and workload. The background to the project is that recovery has been highlighted as important for health and safety in working life.
In shift work, recovery is likely to be especially important, since the working hours (in addition to the workload) can be demanding. At the same time, it can be challenging to achieve sufficient recovery when working shifts. Sleep problems are common in shift work, and balancing work and private life can be more difficult.
The overall aim of the project is to provide knowledge on recovery in relation to working hours and workload, as well as recommendations that can help promote health and safety in shift work.
Working shifts or having irregular working hours is common in sectors such as healthcare, transport, industry, security and retail. Several of these sectors have problems with recruitment, staff turnover and sick leave. Stressful working hours and lack of recovery can contribute to these problems.
In shift work, working hours often clash with the body's circadian rhythm, which both puts extra strain on our body and impairs sleep. Another challenge for people with irregular working hours can be finding the time to interact with family and friends, and fatigue can hinder engaging in restorative activities during free time.
In this project, we want to understand more about recovery in shift work, what is experience as helpful and challenging as well as how different forms of recovery are valued. We are also working on a theoretical model or framework for recovery taking in to account the unique conditions in shift work.
The project contains three substudies:
- The interview study – We have conducted five focus-group interviews with employees from the industry and the healthcare sector to gain in-dept descriptions of recovery experiences in relation till workload and working hours.
- The survey study – A survey will open in the spring of 2026. Read more about the survey study here, and feel free to participate if you have irregular working hours!
- Theory development – We want to contribute to theory development in the research field. We are working on a paper with our conclusions.