Do you know how many people are affected by shift work sleep disorder globally? At the last estimate it was around five million. That’s a lot of people who are deprived of sleep because of their jobs. Shift work is found in a range of industries including hospitality, transport and nursing. Any job that requires you to work outside the normal working hours of nine to five may be considered shift work.
So how does working shifts have such a devastating effect on our sleep. It all comes down to our body clock or 24 hour circadian rhythm which is hard wired into our brain. The circadian rhythm is controlled by light and dark. When the sun sets a hormone called melatonin is produced in our brains. Melatonin is a sleep inducing hormone which makes us feel sleepy. When the sun rises again in the morning, melatonin levels drop and we feel wide awake. So melatonin in effect controls our sleep/wake cycles.
Nothing else can control our sleep cycles as efficiently. Even if we’ve been awake for many hours, we find it hard to fall asleep if the sun’s shining. People who have worked shifts for many years can never totally overcome the disruption to their natural rhythm,
This disruption can cause many health problems over the long term, mainly caused by lack of sleep. It affects our lifestyle because we’re always feeling tired and drained of energy. Driving a car becomes very dangerous as our reflexes and attention span are affected. The most deadly result of sleep deprivation however, is that it stresses our immune system which gradually becomes weaker, leaving us at risk of ill health.
So what can the poor shift worker do? Coping with shift work sleep disorder, while difficult, is possible but it needs a bit of organizing and even dedication. The main thing to do is to is to prioritize sleep in your lifestyle. Sleeping during the day involves overcoming both light and noise, so pay attention to your sleep environment. Pick a bedroom in the quietest part of the house to minimize family noise. Make sure the phone is turned down and ask other family members to be considerate and keep their noise down.
Invest in some good earplugs, the soft gel ones block out the most sound. Make sure your bedroom is as dark as you can possibly make it by installing heavy blinds or curtains at your windows and wear a sleep mask. Make sure your electric clock is turned away from you so the glow won’t disturb you.
Don’t drink coffee, tea or colas in the last half of your shift, in fact if you can cut them out except for that first coffee in the morning, so much the better. If you have to drive home from work as it’s getting light, wear a dark pair of sunglasses to keep the sunlight from entering your eyes. Try and keep to your sleep routine even on your days off so you won’t have trouble sleeping when you recommence your shift.
If you have followed the above advice and are still having trouble sleeping, you may be well advised to leave the shift work and find a day time job. Your health and quality of life will thank you for it!
Unfortunately shift work and sleep deprivation go hand in hand. To better cope with sleep deprivation and improve your quality of life visit http://www.insomnia-connection.com/sleep-deprivation.html Wendy Owen (Dip. Holistic Health Therapy) is a sleep researcher and writer with an extensive knowledge in herbal and homeopathic remedies.
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