Men who work nonstandard shifts and sleep poorly may be more likely to have hypogonadal symptoms and sexual dysfunction than those who work standard shifts, according to a recent study in Urology.

Nonstandard shift workers generally work schedules outside the traditional 7 am to 6 pm time frame. They might start work before 7 am or after 2 pm. Sometimes, their shifts rotate from standard to nonstandard. 

Researchers examined data from 691 men. One hundred eighty-two of those men worked nonstandard shifts. The men completed questionnaires and had their serum hormone levels measured.  Nonstandard shift workers rated the quality of their sleep. 

The researchers found that men who worked nonstandard shifts but rated their sleep quality highly tended to have fewer hypogonadal symptoms and better sexual function than nonstandard shift workers who slept poorly. 

There was no association between sleep quality and hormone levels in this subgroup. 

Please click here for more information on this study. 

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