Shift work and working at night when everyone is asleep can play havoc with your life and have some long-term implications for your home, work and social life.
It is ‘normal’ for people to be awake during daylight hours and asleep during night and if you are getting less than eight hours sleep on a regular basis then you may be heading for some serious fatigue.
When the sun starts to disappear over the horizon your body notices and your brain is flooded with melatonin that signals to your body that it is time to go to sleep.
When the sun rises so does your level of melatonin and it remains low throughout the day.
The experts at http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/ have this to say about sleep patterns at the conditions that shiftwork can leave you open to contracting:
During the day, other chemicals (neurotransmitters) – such as noradrenaline and acetylcholine – increase in the body and keep you awake. This system keeps you synchronised through the day-night cycle. Many other functions of the body – including temperature, digestion, heart rate and blood pressure – fluctuate through the day, tuned by the activity of the circadian clock.
This changing rate of activity over each 24-hour period is known as the circadian rhythm. A person who works nights, or starts their working day before 6am, is running counter to their circadian rhythm. This may put them at risk of health problems.
Research findings are beginning to show that shiftwork can be hazardous to your health.
Increased risks
A person working night shift, which causes disruption to the circadian rhythm, is at greater risk of various disorders, accidents and misfortunes, including:
- Increased likelihood of obesity
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
- Higher risk of mood changes
- Increased risk of gastrointestinal problems, such as constipation and stomach discomfort
- Higher risk of motor vehicle accidents and work-related accidents
- Increased likelihood of family problems, including divorce
- Probable increased risk of cancer, especially breast cancer.
In addition:
- Sleep deprivation caused by shiftwork may increase the risk of epilepsy in pre-disposed people.
- Shiftworkers with diabetes can experience difficulties in controlling their blood sugar levels.
Source:http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Shiftwork_health_effects?open
For the full rundown on how shift work may be affecting your life visit the link above.
If you are a shiftworker, perhaps for a number of years, it is a good idea to have regular health check ups to ensure that you are not suffering adversely from the hours that you are working.
If you are feeling tired all of the time and don’t feel that you ever catch up on sleep, maybe you have trouble sleeping during the day, make some time to see your doctor.
It may be time to make some lifestyle or even work changes to improve your health and wellbeing.
Peter Cutforth is a Director at Urban E-Learning, a global elearning and web strategy firm based in George St Brisbane. Peter's interests extend to training, safety and compliance, online marketing, and Mobile Apps.
