Residential support workers on sleepover or traditional night shifts are likely to be sleep-deprived and at risk of burnout, which has potential patient-care implications.

Following traditional night shifts, workers only achieve approximately 4 h of sleep.

On sleepover shifts, staff sleep depends on level of patient care, stress levels, the amount of help from colleagues and the quality of the sleeping environment.

Consideration of ways to optimise sleeping conditions at work, such as improving bed and pillow quality and noise, light and stress reduction, is required.

Further investigation into and dissemination of the strategies used by residential support workers to reduce fatigue-related risk (i.e. fatigue-proofing), would be beneficial.