Sleep and wake disorders in shift workers. Part II: Prevention and treatment strategies.

The present review deals with preventive and treatment strategies for sleep and wake disorders, and the other problems of shift workers. Management must take into account the direction, speed and other parameters of the rotation schedule. Good sleep-wake hygiene may alleviate the problems. Further, additional napping may compensate - at least partially - for sleep deprivation and fatigue. Hypnotics must be avoided as much as possible. Finally, new techniques for manipulation of circadian rhythms are discussed: light, melatonin and benzodiazepines.