1
CV for Torbjörn Åkerstedt (born 1946)
EDUCATION
year
Degree
1966 High school degree
1970 Master of Science
1979 PhD
Institution
Solna Läroverk
Univ Stockholm
Univ of Stockholm (Psychology)
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
1970-1973
Instructor in Psychology, Univ Stockholm
1973-1977
Research assistant, Dept Stress Research, Karolinska Institute
1977-1981
Researcher, Dept Stress Research, Karolinska Institute
1981-1988
Associate Professor of Psychophysiology, Dept Stress Res, Karolinska Institute
1981-1988
Laborator (Professor) at National Institute for Psychosocial Factors and Health
1981-1993
Deputy head, Department of Stress Res, Karolinska institute
1988Professor (Psychosocial factors & health), Nat inst Psychosoc Fact Health
1994
Visiting Professor of Medicine - Harvard University (2 months), Faculty of Medicine
1997Adj. Professor of Behavioral Physiology, Karolinska institute
2000Deputy director, Institute of Psychosocial Medicine
2007-2013
Director, Stress Research Institute, Stockholm University
2007-2014
Affiliated Professor, Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet
2009Head: Stockholm Stress Center (FAS center) Stocholm Univ & Karolinska Inst
2014Senior Professor, Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet
OTHER POSITIONS
1979-1983
President Scandinavian Sleep Research Society
1983-1987
Member of the board of the Sleep Research Society (US)
1985Member of the Scientific Committee of the Subcommittee of shift work of the
Permanent Commission of the International Association of Occupational Health
1988-1992
Member Scientific Committee European Sleep Research Society
1991-2010
Associate (action) editor of the Journal of Sleep Research
2010Deputy editor of the Journal of Sleep Research
1998Associate (action) editor of Biological Psychology
1992-1996
President European Sleep Research Society
2003-2007
Secretary General of The World Federation of Sleep Research and Sleep Medicine Societies
PUBLICATIONS last 5 years
Total = 500, of which 275 are found in PubMed and 10% are international reviews
Tucker, P., Bejerot, E., Kecklund, G., Aronsson, G. and Akerstedt, T. The impact of work time control on physicians'
sleep and well-being. Applied ergonomics, 2015, 47: 109-16.
Westerlund, A., Lagerros, Y. T., Kecklund, G., Axelsson, J. and Akerstedt, T. Relationships Between Questionnaire
Ratings of Sleep Quality and Polysomnography in Healthy Adults. Behavioral sleep medicine, 2014, 10: 115.
Westerlund, A., Brandt, L., Harlid, R., Akerstedt, T. and Lagerros, Y. T. Using the Karolinska Sleep Questionnaire to
identify obstructive sleep apnea syndrome in a sleep clinic population. Clin Respir J, 2014, 8: 444-54.
Westerlund, A., Bottai, M., Adami, H. O. et al. Habitual sleep patterns and the distribution of body mass index: crosssectional findings among Swedish men and women. Sleep medicine, 2014, 15: 1196-203.
Mallon, L., Broman, J. E., Akerstedt, T. and Hetta, J. Insomnia in Sweden: a population-based survey. Sleep Disorder,
2014, 2014: 843126.
Magnusson Hanson, L. L., Chungkham, H. S., Akerstedt, T. and Westerlund, H. The Role of Sleep Disturbances in the
Longitudinal Relationship Between Psychosocial Working Conditions, Measured by Work Demands and
Support, and Depression. Sleep, 2014
Lasselin, J., Rehman, J. U., Akerstedt, T., Lekander, M. and Axelsson, J. Effect of long-term sleep restriction and
subsequent recovery sleep on the diurnal rhythms of white blood cell subpopulations. Brain, Behavior and
Immunity, 2014
Ingre, M., Van Leeuwen, W., Klemets, T. et al. Validating and extending the three process model of alertness in
airline operations. PLoS One, 2014, 9: e108679.
Hallvig, D., Anund, A., Fors, C., Kecklund, G. and Akerstedt, T. Real driving at night - Predicting lane departures from
physiological and subjective sleepiness. Biol Psychol, 2014, 101: 18-23.
Filtness, A. J., Anund, A., Fors, C., Ahlstrom, C., Akerstedt, T. and Kecklund, G. Sleep-related eye symptoms and their
potential for identifying driver sleepiness. Journal of sleep research, 2014, 23: 568-75.
Bellavia, A., Akerstedt, T., Bottai, M., Wolk, A. and Orsini, N. Sleep duration and survival percentiles across
categories of physical activity. American Journal of Epidemiology, 2014, 179: 484-91.
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Akerstedt, T., Lekander, M., Petersen, H., Kecklund, G. and Axelsson, J. Sleep polysomnography and reported stress
across 6 weeks. Industrial health, 2014, 52: 36-42.
Akerstedt, T., Axelsson, J., Lekander, M., Orsini, N. and Kecklund, G. Do sleep, stress, and illness explain daily
variations in fatigue? A prospective study. Journal of psychosomatic research, 2014, 76: 280-85.
Akerstedt, T., Anund, A., Axelsson, J. and Kecklund, G. Subjective sleepiness is a sensitive indicator of insufficient
sleep and impaired waking function. Journal of sleep research, 2014, 23: 240-52.
Westerlund, A., Bellocco, R., Sundström, J., Adami, H.-O., Åkerstedt, T. and Trolle Lagerros, Y. Sleep characteristics
and cardiovascular events in a large Swedish cohort. European journal of epidemiology, 2013: 1-11.
Van Leeuwen, W. A., Kircher, A., Dahlgren, A. et al. Sleep, Sleepiness, and Neurobehavioral Performance While on
Watch in a Simulated 4 Hours on/8 Hours off Maritime Watch System. Chronobiology international, 2013,
30: 1108-15.
Saksvik-Lehouillier, I., Bjorvatn, B., Hetland, H. et al. Individual, situational and lifestyle factors related to shift work
tolerance among nurses who are new to and experienced in night work. Journal of Advanced Nursing,
2013, 69: 1136-46.
Petersen, H., Kecklund, G., D´Onofrio, P., Nilsson, J. and Åkerstedt, T. Stress vulnerability and the effects of moderate
daily stress on sleep polysomnography and subjective sleepiness. Journal of Stress Research, 2013, 22: 5057.
Nordin, M., Akerstedt, T. and Nordin, S. Psychometric evaluation and normative data for the Karolinska Sleep
Questionnaire. Sleep Biol Rhythms, 2013, 11: 216-26.
Lekander, M., Andreasson, A. N., Kecklund, G. et al. Subjective health perception in healthy young men changes in
response to experimentally restricted sleep and subsequent recovery sleep. Brain, behavior, and immunity,
2013, 34
Leineweber, C., Kecklund, G., Theorell, T., Åkerstedt, T., Alexanderson, K. and Westerlund, H. Inflytande över
arbetstiden och sjuknärvaro/sjukfrånvaro. [Influence over working hours and sickness
presenteeism/absence. In Swedish.]. Arbetmarknad & Arbetsliv, 2013, 19: 87-100.
Knutsson, A., Alfredsson, L., Karlsson, B. et al. Breast cancer among shift workers: results of the WOLF longitudinal
cohort study. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, 2013, 39: 170-77.
Jansson, C., Alexanderson, K., Kecklund, G. and Akerstedt, T. Clinically diagnosed insomnia and risk of all-cause and
diagnosis-specific disability pension: a nationwide cohort study. Sleep Disorder, 2013: 209832.
Jansson, C., Alexanderson, K., Kecklund, G. and Akerstedt, T. Clinically diagnosed insomnia and risk of all-cause and
diagnosis-specific sickness absence: A nationwide Swedish prospective cohort study. Scandinavian journal
of public health, 2013, 41: 712-21.
Ivarsson, M., Anderson, M., Åkerstedt, T. and Lindblad, F. The Effect of Violent and Nonviolent Video Games on
Heart Rate Variability, Sleep, and Emotions in Adolescents With Different Violent Gaming Habits.
Psychosomatic medicine, 2013, 75: 390-96.
Hallvig, D., Anund, A., Fors, C. et al. Sleepy driving on the real road and in the simulator--A comparison. Accident
Analysis & Prevention, 2013, 50: 44-50.
Flo, E., Pallesen, S., Åkerstedt, T. et al. Shift-related sleep problems vary according to work schedule. Occupational
and environmental medicine, 2013, 70: 238-45.
Bränström, R., Kvillemo, P. and Åkerstedt, T. Effects of Mindfulness Training on Levels of Cortisol in Cancer
Patients. Psychosomatics, 2013, 54: 158-64.
Bellavia, A., Akerstedt, T., Bottai, M., Wolk, A. and Orsini, N. Sleep Duration and Survival Percentiles Across
Categories of Physical Activity. American Journal of Epidemiology, 2013
Axelsson, J., Rehman, J. U., Akerstedt, T. et al. Effects of sustained sleep restriction on mitogen-stimulated cytokines,
chemokines and T helper 1/ T helper 2 balance in humans. PLoS One, 2013, 8: e82291.
Åkerstedt, T. and Kecklund, G. Säkerhet, arbetstider och trötthet. In: S. ÖDEGÅRD (Ed), Patientsäkerhet - teori och
praktik. Liber, Stockholm, 2013: 399-424.
Åkerstedt, T., Hallvig, D., Anund, A., Fors, C., Schwarz, J. and Kecklund, G. Having to stop driving at night because of
dangerous sleepiness - awareness, physiology and behaviour. Journal of sleep research, 2013, 22: 380-88.
Åkerstedt, T., Axelsson, J., Lekander, M., Orsini, N. and Kecklund, G. The daily variation in sleepiness and its relation
to the preceding sleep episode—a prospective study across 42 days of normal living. Journal of sleep
research, 2013, 22: 258-65.
Åkerstedt, T. Occupational impact (sleep). In: C. KUSHIDA (Ed), Encyclopedia of Sleep. Academic Press, Waltham,
MA, 2013: 308-10.
Åkerstedt, T. Social and Economic Impact (sleep). In: C. KUSHIDA (Ed), The Encyclopedia of Sleep. Academic Press,
Waltham, MA, 2013: 306-07.
Åkerstedt, T. Shift work. In: C. KUSHIDA (Ed), The Encyclopedia of Sleep. Academic Press, Waltham, MA, 2013: 197201.
Taillard, J., Capelli, A., Sagaspe, P., Anund, A., Akerstedt, T. and Philip, P. In-car nocturnal blue light exposure
improves motorway driving: a randomized controlled trial. Public Library of Science, 2012, 7: e46750.
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Soderstrom, M., Jeding, K., Ekstedt, M., Perski, A. and Akerstedt, T. Insufficient sleep predicts clinical burnout.
Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 2012, 17: 175-83.
Schwarz, J. F., Ingre, M., Fors, C. et al. In-car countermeasures open window and music revisited on the real road:
popular but hardly effective against driver sleepiness. Journal of sleep research, 2012
Nordin, M., Westerholm, P., Alfredsson, L. and Åkerstedt, T. Social Support and Sleep. Longitudinal Relationships
from the WOLF-Study. Psychology, 2012, 3: 1223-30.
Lowden, A. and Akerstedt, T. Assessment of a new dynamic light regimen in a nuclear power control room without
windows on quickly rotating shiftworkers-effects on health, wakefulness, and circadian alignment: a pilot
study. Chronobiology international, 2012, 29: 641-9.
Kecklund, G., Milia, L. D., Axelsson, J., Lowden, A. and Akerstedt, T. 20th International Symposium on Shiftwork and
Working Time: Biological Mechanisms, Recovery, and Risk Management in the 24-h Society. Chronobiology
international, 2012, 29: 531-6.
Ingre, M., Akerstedt, T., Ekstedt, M. and Kecklund, G. Periodic self-rostering in shift work: correspondence between
objective work hours, work hour preferences (personal fit), and work schedule satisfaction. Scandinavian
Journal of Work, Environment and Health, 2012, 38: 327-36.
Garde, A. H., Karlson, B., Hansen, Å. M., Persson, R. and Åkerstedt, T. Sleep and Salivary Cortisol. In: M. KRISTENSON,
P. GARVIN and U. LUNDBERG (Eds), The Role of Saliva Cortisol Measurement in Health and Disease.
Bentham Science Publishers: UAE, 2012: 12.
Eckerberg, B., Lowden, A., Nagai, R. and Akerstedt, T. Melatonin treatment effects on adolescent students' sleep
timing and sleepiness in a placebo-controlled crossover study. Chronobiology international, 2012, 29:
1239-48.
Di Milia, L., Rogers, N. L. and Akerstedt, T. Sleepiness, long distance commuting and night work as predictors of
driving performance. PLoS One, 2012, 7
Di Milia, L., Rogers, N. and Åkerstedt, T. Sleepiness, long distance commuting and night work as predictors of
driving performance. PLoS One, 2012, 7
Danielsson, M., Heimerson, I., Lundberg, U., Perski, A., Stefansson, C.-G. and Akerstedt, T. Psychosocial stress and
health problems. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health (suppl), 2012, 40: 121-34.
Bränström, R., Kvillemo, P. and Akerstedt, T. Effects of mindfullness training on levels of cortisol in cancer patients.
Psychosomatics, 2012, 54: 158-64.
Bonde, J. P., Hansen, K., Kolstad, H. A. et al. Work at night and breast cancer: Report on evidence-based options for
preventive actions. Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health, 2012, 38: 380-90.
Bonde, J. P., Hansen, J., Kolstad, H. A. et al. Work at night and breast cancer - report on evidence-based options for
preventive actions. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, 2012
Åkerstedt, T. and Perski, A. Sleep, Stress and Heart Disease. In: P. HJEMDAHL, A. ROSENGREN and A. STEPTOE
(Eds), Stress and Cardiovarscular Disease. Springer Verlag London Ltd, 2012: 257-72.
Åkerstedt, T., Orsini, N., Petersen, H., Axelsson, J., Lekander, M. and Kecklund, G. Predicting sleep quality from stress
and prior sleep - A study of day-to-day covariation across six weeks. Sleep medicine, 2012, 13: 674-79.
Akerstedt, T., Nordin, M., Alfredsson, L., Westerholm, P. and Kecklund, G. Predicting changes in sleep complaints
from baseline values and changes in work demands, work control, and work preoccupation--the WOLFproject. Sleep medicine, 2012, 13: 73-80.
Akerstedt, T. and Kecklund, G. Sleep, work and occupational stress. In: C. M. MORIN and C. ESPIE (Eds), The Oxford
Handbook of Sleep and Sleep Disorders. Oxford University Press, New York, 2012: 248-65.
Akerstedt, T., Axelsson, J., Lekander, M., Orsini, N. and Kecklund, G. The daily variation in sleepiness and its relation
to the preceding sleep episode-a prospective study across 42 days of normal living. Journal of sleep
research, 2012
Sandberg, D., Anund, A., Fors, C. et al. The characteristics of sleepiness during real driving at night--a study of
driving performance, physiology and subjective experience. Sleep, 2011, 34: 1317-25.
Magnusson Hanson, L. L., Akerstedt, T., Naswall, K., Leineweber, C., Theorell, T. and Westerlund, H. Cross-lagged
relationships between workplace demands, control, support and sleep problems. Sleep, 2011, 34: 1403-10.
Lowden, A., Akerstedt, T., Ingre, M. et al. Sleep after mobile phone exposure in subjects with mobile phone-related
symptoms. Bioelectromagnetics, 2011, 32: 4-14.
Hedstrom, A. K., Akerstedt, T., Hillert, J., Olsson, T. and Alfredsson, L. Shift work at young age is associated with
increased risk for multiple sclerosis. Annals of Neurology, 2011, 70: 733-41.
Hanson, L. L. M., Akerstedt, T., Naswall, K., Leineweber, C., Theorell, T. and Westerlund, H. Cross-Lagged
Relationships Between Workplace Demands, Control, Support, and Sleep Problems. Sleep, 2011, 34: 1403U147.
Hanson, L. L., Akerstedt, T., Naswall, K., Leineweber, C., Theorell, T. and Westerlund, H. Cross-lagged relationships
between workplace demands, control, support, and sleep problems. Sleep, 2011, 34: 1403-10.
Dawson, D., Noy, Y. I., Harma, M., Akerstedt, T. and Belenky, G. Modelling fatigue and the use of fatigue models in
work settings. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 2011, 43: 549-64.
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Belenky, G. and Akerstedt, T. Occupational Sleep Medicine, Introduction. In: M. H. KRYGER, T. ROTH and W. C.
DEMENT (Eds), Principle and Practice of Sleep Medicine. Elsevier Saunders, St. Louise, MO, 2011: 1723.
Anund, A., Ahlstrom, C., Kecklund, G. and Akerstedt, T. Rumble strips in centre of the lane and the effect on sleepy
drivers. Industrial health, 2011, 49: 549-58.
Åkerstedt, T., Philip, P., Capelli, A. and Kecklund, G. Sleep loss and accident - Work hours, life style, and sleep
pathology. Progress in Brain Research, 2011, 190: 169-88.
Åkerstedt, T., Perski, A. and Kecklund, G. Sleep, stress and burnout. In: M. H. KRYGER, T. ROTH and W. C. DEMENT
(Eds), Principle and Practice of Sleep Medicine. Elsevier Saunders, St. Louise, MO, 2011: 1723.
Åkerstedt, T. and Kecklund, G. Shiftwork, severe sleepiness and safety. Industrial health, 2011, 49: 141-42.
Vadeby, A., Forsman, A., Kecklund, G., Akerstedt, T., Sandberg, D. and Anund, A. Sleepiness and prediction of driver
impairment in simulator studies using a Cox proportional hazard approach. Accident Analysis &
Prevention, 2010, 42: 835-41.
Tucker, P., Brown, M., Dahlgren, A. et al. The impact of junior doctors' worktime arrangements on their fatigue and
well-being. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health, 2010, 36: 458-65.
Sandberg, D., Akerstedt, T., Anund, A., Kecklund, G. and Wahde, M. Detecting driver sleepiness using optimized
nonlinear combinations of sleepiness indicators. IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Transportation Systems,
2010, 12: 97-108.
Rehman, J. U., Brismar, K., Holmback, U., Akerstedt, T. and Axelsson, J. Sleeping during the day: effects on the 24-h
patterns of IGF-binding protein 1, insulin, glucose, cortisol, and growth hormone. European Journal of
Endocrinology, 2010, 163: 383-90.
Lowden, A., Akerstedt, T., Ingre, M. et al. Sleep after mobile phone exposure in subjects with mobile phone-related
symptoms. Bioelectromagnetics, 2010
Anund, A. and Akerstedt, T. Perception of sleepiness before falling asleep. Sleep medicine, 2010, 11: 743-4.
Akerstedt, T., Nordin, M., Alfredsson, L., Westerholm, P. and Kecklund, G. Sleep and sleepiness: impact of entering or
leaving shiftwork - a prospective study. Chronobiology international, 2010, 27: 987-96.
Akerstedt, T., Kecklund, G. and Selén, J. Early morning work - prevalence and relation to sleep/wake problems: a
national representative survey. Chronobiology international, 2010, 27: 975-86.
Akerstedt, T., Kecklund, G. and Selen, J. Disturbed sleep and fatigue as predictors of return from long-term sickness
absence. Industrial health, 2010, 48: 209-14.
Akerstedt, T., Ingre, M., Kecklund, G. et al. Reaction of sleepiness indicators to partial sleep deprivation, time of day
and time on task in a driving simulator – the DROWSI project. Journal of sleep research, 2010, 19: 298-309.
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One major research direction of Dr Akestedt’s has been night work and sleepiness,
as evidenced in the first study of sleepiness on the job (in train drivers) and later in
other occupational groups (paper workers, truck drivers), as well as experimental
studies on sleepiness at the wheel in driving simulators and on the real road. These
issues have also been taken into accident epidemiology, showing that night driving
results in an increased risk for all types of accidents except those involving
overtaking, but particularly single vehicle accidents. Low age was here an
unexpected risk factor. In driving simulators also experimental manipulation of time
awake and time of day has been used.
The interest in sleepiness also led to traditional laboratory experiments on
physiological and psychological studies of sleepiness. One of these also led to the
development of the Karolinska sleepiness scale (KSS), the most cited work of Dr
Åkerstedt. Sleepiness is also presently being investigated in natural and
experimental (in progress) infection (using lipopolysacharides)
Also sleep (polysomnography) has been a focus in several studies, for example of
sleep in shift workers as well as in experimental studies looking at the effect on sleep
of a gradual displacement of bedtime across the day.. In epidemiological studies it
appears that shift workers do not perceive their sleep as disturbed (although
insufficient). Experimental studies have also shown that partial sleep deprivation
(4h/night) leads to a gradual increase of SWS.
The field and laboratory studies also lead to the development of the three-process
model of alertness regulation, inspired by the Borbely model but focusing on the
prediction of sleepiness under different work-rest schedules. Most of this work was
carried out in collaboration with Dr Simon Folkard.
Sleep was also adressed in relation to stress, first demonstrating the dramatic
physiological impairment in burnout patients and later as the more modest
impairment in healthy individuals on nights with a limited increase in day-to-day
stress. Some of this work has also lead to attempts to identify the components of
physiological sleep quality. Recently, it was also demonstrated prospectively that, not
only does stress impair subsequent sleep but impaired sleep has even stronger
effects on the perception of stress. In addition, ongoing research shows that the
physiological criteria for good sleep change with age (ongoing) and that good sleep
in older individuals compares to poor sleep in younger individuals (in progress).
The strong focus on sleep has led to positions as President of the European Sleep
Research Society as well as Secretary General of the World Federation of Sleep
Research and Sleep Medicine Societies.
Outside the sleep area Dr Åkerstedt has also focused on epidemiology of shift work,
linking it to multiple sclerosis and to breast cancer as well as stroke and other
diseases (ongoing)