Working for extended hours, whether through a shift system, overtime, on-call, or catching up on work at home following a day in the office, can potentially result in fatigue through sleep loss.

In order to maintain a high level of alertness and performance, we are best suited to being awake for no more than about 16 hours following 8 hours of good quality sleep, although these values can slightly differ among individuals. However, you cannot ‘train’ yourself to work for longer or to need less sleep.

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