Two studies are described in which differences were found in the adjustment of the circadian rhythms of full and part-time night nurses to night work. A distinction was drawn between short-term adjustment that takes place over successive night shifts, and long-term adjustment that may take the form either of a permanent #x2018;flattening#x2019; of the rhythm, or of a facilitation of short-term adjustment. The results from the first study indicated that even when the potential for greater short-term adjustment was controlled for, the full-time staff showed greater adjustment to night work. The second study examined these differences in long-term adjustment in greater detail. No evidence was found of a permanent #x2018;flattening#x2019; of the full-timers#x2019; circadian rhythms, although they showed clear evidence of adjustment even on the first of a period of successive night shifts. The full-timers also showed more evidence of adjustment from the first to the second night shift. It is suggested that these differences in long-term adjustment may reflect differences in the degree to which the nurses scheduled their lives towards night work.
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