Researcher Studies Sleep Disruption Among Emergency Workers in South Africa

Dr. Joshua Davimes is investigating the effects of sleep deprivation on emergency workers in Africa, focusing on the challenging conditions they face. Early in the morning in Gauteng, he meets an end-of-shift paramedic to collect an actigraphy device, a tool that monitors sleep and activity levels. This is part of his field research, which takes him to ambulance stations and other locations where South Africa's emergency responders work under strenuous conditions.

As a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biomedical Sciences at Wits University, Davimes is redefining traditional sleep science by gathering real-world data on the sleep health of frontline workers, including paramedics and emergency room physicians. His research group, Sleep Health Exploration in Extreme Populations, highlights issues like poor sleep quality, untreated trauma, and burnout, emphasizing the intense pressures that these professionals face.

Despite initially considering other fields such as engineering and film, Davimes’ lifelong interest in neuroscience was shaped by personal experiences, including conversations with his parents. He explores the complexities of sleep as a phenomenon linked deeply to consciousness. His earlier studies included sleep patterns among various mammals, leading him to focus on human populations in extreme environments, notably a 2016 study of the Khoi San community that changed his perspective on sleep research.

Davimes aims to improve the sleep cycles of overworked professionals and advocate for systemic changes that address their exhaustion. His research suggests practical strategies, including better shift scheduling and improved sleeping accommodations at work. He is also working to shift societal views on sleep from being seen as laziness to recognizing its critical role in health.

Motivated by the human impact of sleep deprivation, Davimes expresses concern about the state of sleep among South Africans, viewing it as a social injustice. He enjoys the hands-on nature of his work and recently joined the Wits Machine Intelligence and Neural Discovery Institute, where he can further explore the intersections of sleep science, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence. His ultimate goal is to produce evidence that informs policy, aiming to show that sufficient sleep is vital for improving lives, particularly in resource-constrained African contexts.

Leanne Rencken is a freelance writer. This article first appeared in Curiosity, a magazine produced by Wits Communications and the Research Office.