Sleep and burnout syndrome among public high school teachers

Rev Bras Med Trab. 2026 Aug 26;24:e20261487. doi: 10.47626/1679-4435-2026-1487. eCollection 2026 Jan-Dec.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Schoolteachers face challenges inherent to the academic environment, characterized by an intense workload and high physical, mental, and emotional demands.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the profile of public high school teachers and investigate its association with sleep quality and burnout syndrome.

METHODS: This cross-sectional, descriptive study employed a quantitative approach. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory, administered to a sample of 252 high school teachers.

RESULTS: Most participants were female, married, had a mean age of 43 years, and worked 40 hours per week across two daily shifts (morning and afternoon). More than half engaged in regular physical activity. Overall, 61% of participants had poor sleep quality. Most did not use sleep-inducing medications, although 88.31% reported using electronic devices, such as smartphones, before bedtime. The prevalence of burnout syndrome was 11.01%. Higher levels of emotional exhaustion were associated with poorer sleep quality. Working across two school shifts was also associated with increased emotional exhaustion and poorer sleep quality.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that emotional exhaustion may adversely affect sleep quality among public high school teachers. Furthermore, the absence of healthy lifestyle habits, such as regular physical activity and leisure activities, may also contribute to poorer sleep quality.

PMID:43022673 | PMC:PMC13757299 | DOI:10.47626/1679-4435-2026-1487