Who is best suited to on-call work? Understanding individual differences in trait anxiety and sleep

There has been extensive research into shift work tolerance and how individuals with certain traits may be better suited to non-standard working arrangements. This research has found that individuals with lower levels of some personality traits (e.g. trait anxiety) find it easier to tolerate shift work. However, there is no research specifically addressing traits that may be linked with the ability to manage on-call work. As such, three studies, each with differing on-call conditions, were performed in a time-isolated sleep laboratory to investigate individual differences in the ability to tolerate on-call work. All three studies included an adaptation, a control, and two counterbalanced on-call nights. Participants had an 8-hr sleep opportunity each night, regardless of their on-call status.