[Sleep hygiene for female nurses].

Sleep is a basic human need. A good night's sleep shapes our physical and mental health. Female nurses experience particularly complex sleep disturbance problems because of after working rotating shifts, as well as because of the effects of the female reproductive hormones. Both issues present a challenge to the understanding of female nurses' sleep. This paper summarizes the existing knowledge about sleep in women, including shift workers in relation to their reproductive status, and introduces practical sleep hygiene concepts and strategies for female nurses.