Is there an optimal sleep-wake pattern in shift work?

This paper finds that shift work clearly affects sleep and wakefulness but that there is very little known empirically about optimal sleep-wake patter ns - except for the ones commonly used but not evaluated, for example, exte nsion of morning sleep after night work, split sleep (main sleep + nap), na p positioning and duration, delay of main sleep, full commitment to night w ork (including bright light), phase advance and napping in relation to morn ing work, and modification of sleep strategies depending on the speed and d irection of rotation. Thus computer simulations of the efficacy of alternat ive strategies must sometimes be used. The paper tries several such approac hes and finds some possible ways of optimizing sleep. Still, the need for e mpirical data is emphasized.