Is Shift Work Sleep Disorder Wrecking Your Life?
Did you know that about five million people globally are affected by shift work sleep disorder? That’s five million people who are sleep deprived because their work stops them from getting the rest they need. These are people employed in a wide range of industries including manufacturing, transport, nursing, hospitality and emergency services, in fact any profession that requires you to work at night and sleep during the day.
So how does shift work affect our sleep? People who are awake at night and try to sleep during the day are operating outside their normal circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is operated by sunlight and is hard wired into our brains. If we leave work when the sun is rising, a signal is sent to our brain that it’s time to wake up. No matter how many hours we’ve already been awake the melatonin in our brain decreases on seeing bright light and we will feel wide awake. Even if you have been a shift worker for many years, your will never really overcome this circadian rhythm disruption.
What are health problems associated with shift work? Lack of sleep over the long term can negatively affect our health in many ways. There is the ever present feelings of tiredness and lethargy during the day, not to mention the dangers of driving tired.Worse still, sleep deprivation depresses our immune system leaving us more susceptible to disease.
So what’s a shift worker to do? There are ways of coping with this sleep disorder, but you must be organized and make sleep a priority in your life. The hardest part in sleeping during the day is light and noise. Therefore your first priority has to be your sleep environment. Make sure your room is as dark as possible by installing the thickest blinds you can find. If noise is a problem, consider moving your bedroom to a quieter part of the house away from family areas. If you can’t do this, at least ask you family to co-operate by keeping their noise down during the day and always use earplugs.
When driving home from your work, wear a pair of dark sunglasses to prevent as much light getting into your eyes as possible. Minimize your coffee intake towards the end of your shift to prevent caffeine induced wakefulness.
Establish a sleep routine and never break it, not even when you have a day off. Ensure your friends and family are aware of your sleep times so you are not disturbed.
If shift work sleep disorder is affecting your lifestyle despite the above advice, it may be advisable to give up shift work and find another job. Always make your health and wellbeing your number one priority.
