Gaza Healthcare Workers Deprived of Sleep in Wartime

Amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, doctors and nurses on the front lines are suffering from widespread sleep disorders. A survey conducted in August 2025 among 437 healthcare professionals reveals that nearly three-quarters of them sleep poorly, with an overall severely degraded quality of sleep. Nights are short, restless, and often interrupted by stress or extreme working conditions.

The war has transformed their daily lives. Since October 2023, Gaza’s hospitals have been targeted by bombings, severely lack resources, and have seen their staff repeatedly displaced. Healthcare workers live under constant threat, in an environment where safety and stability no longer exist. Many have lost their homes, a loved one, or a colleague, and endure forced displacements. These cumulative pressures weigh heavily on their morale and ability to rest.

The link between psychological stress and sleep difficulties is clear. The more anxiety or depression healthcare workers feel, the more their sleep deteriorates. Conversely, those who demonstrate resilience—this ability to adapt and overcome hardship—cope better. Resilience acts as a shield, partially mitigating the harmful effects of stress on sleep. Yet, even among the most resilient, nights often remain restless.

Nurses appear slightly more affected than doctors, but differences between men and women, or across departments, remain minimal. The context is so extreme that usual factors, such as work schedules or seniority, lose their influence. Here, it is the overall environment that dominates: the sound of explosions, the fear of attacks, and the impossibility of feeling safe, even during rare moments of rest.

Sleep deprivation has direct consequences. Accumulated fatigue impairs concentration, slows reflexes, and increases the risk of medical errors. In an already overwhelmed healthcare system, every healthcare worker matters, and every mistake can be costly. Yet, solutions are scarce. Overwhelmed hospitals struggle to provide secure rest areas or adequate psychological support.

However, there are potential avenues. Strengthening resilience through peer support programs, stress management sessions, or cognitive therapies could improve the situation. Dedicated rest spaces, sheltered from bombings, and more predictable schedules would also help. But in war-torn Gaza, where needs are immense and resources limited, these measures remain difficult to implement.

Gaza’s healthcare workers are paying a heavy toll in this war. Their sleep, essential to their health and that of their patients, is being sacrificed. Without action, this sleep crisis risks worsening, further endangering a healthcare system already on the brink of collapse. Their well-being is not just a humanitarian issue—it is a necessity to sustain healthcare in the enclave.

Our References

Reference Work

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s43045-026-00650-1

Title: Sleep impairment and its predictors among frontline physicians and nurses in Gaza during wartime: a cross-sectional study

Journal: Middle East Current Psychiatry

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Authors: Belal Aldabbour; Majdi Alkhaldi; Ibrahim Alkordi; Nael Harara; Karam Jouda; Omar Elyazoury; Mohammed Eid; Mohammed Elhendi; Mohammed Ibrahim; Mohammed Matter; Omar Ayesh; Bilal Irfan; Amro Lahlouh