The consequences of sleep deprivation and sleepiness have been noted as the most important health problem in our modern society among shift workers. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sleep disorders and their possible effects on work performance in two groups of Iranian shift workers and nonshift workers. This study was designed as a cross-sectional study. The data were collected by PSQI, Berlin questionnaire, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Insomnia Severity Index, and RLS Questionnaire. Occupational impact of different sleep disorders was detected by Occupational Impact of Sleep Disorder questionnaire. These questionnaires were filled in by 210 shift workers and 204 nonshift workers. There was no significant difference in the age, BMI, marital status, and years of employment in the two groups. Shift workers scored significantly higher in the OISD. The prevalence of insomnia, poor sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness was significantly higher in shift workers. Correlations between OISD scores and insomnia, sleep quality, and daytime sleepiness were significant. We concluded that sleep disorders should receive more attention as a robust indicator of work limitation.

Persian version of the STOP-BANG performs similar to its original version and is an easy-to-use questionnaire which could be considered as a reliable and valid tool for OSA screening.

Cross-cultural adaptation was successful, and the ISI-P has good psychometric properties. Using the ISI-P is recommended to evaluate insomnia in research and clinical settings in Persian-speaking people.

No abstract

INTRODUCTIONThe postpartum period is a transitional phase that has a decisive effect on a mother's physical and mental health.(1) The changes involved during this period, including hormonal shifts and the beginning of new and unfamiliar child-rearing tasks, can cause primiparous mothers to experience stress and fatigue. (2) Postpartum fatigue, which is the result of the tense and overwhelming experience of caring for a newborn, has negative effects on the health of the mother, the neonate and the family. This phenomenon often begins immediately after delivery and reaches its maximum severity within 36 hours.(4) In contrast to the belief that it is a temporary experience, postpartum fatigue can last for a prolonged period after delivery.(3) A literature review by Groër et al reported that more than 80% of mothers complain of postpartum fatigue.(5) Corwin et al reported a postpartum fatigue incidence of about 70% among mothers who had given birth 1-2 months earlier.(6) Primiparous women were found to be more likely to complain of postpartum fatigue. (7) Although postpartum fatigue is a common and natural phenomenon, it has received attention due to its excruciating nature.(8) Even after more than two decades of study, postpartum fatigue remains one of the five major postpartum concerns and its treatment is often a controversial subject in many studies. The resultant reduced stamina decreases a mother's capability to undertake physical and mental tasks; it also decreases her ability to manage her infant's needs, her responsibilities to other family members and her professional duties.(10) Additionally, reduced maternal energy impairs the immune, nervous and mental systems of both the mother and the infant.(5) Other undesirable and potentially serious outcomes include termination of lactation, (11) impairment of the sexual relationship between spouses, (7) development of stress and mood disorders (5) and an increased risk of postpartum depression.(12) Therefore, it is of utmost importance that an effective solution to this condition is found. There has been some evidence supporting the positive effect of physical exercise on maternal and infant health.(1) The theory behind the use of physical exercise is that, by increasing maternal motivation and self-confidence, postpartum exercise enhances child-rearing practices and helps mothers play their maternal roles more efficiently. (13) Considering the circumstances of a postpartum woman, home exercise is deemed the most suitable and is also the most common type of exercise recommended by healthcare professionals, since it presents fewer childcare-related barriers, resulting in mothers exercising more willingly and with greater motivation. (14) Pilates exercises, introduced by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th century, are considered a good method for accelerating convalescence after pregnancy. However, the effectiveness of Pilates exercises in reducing postpartum fatigue is not well known.(15) In a previous study,(1) the combination of yoga and Pilates exercises was show...