Between Europe and America, 15-30% of the workforce is experiencing the health defects of atypical shift patterns. This percentage is comprised of many first responders like nurses, police officers and firefighters, as well as warehouse workers, security officers, and more.
Is Working Nights Bad for You?
The main effect of working shift patterns like this is an increased difficulty in falling asleep and waking up. This is all to do with our bodies’ circadian rhythm. Our circadian rhythm is a natural cycle our body goes through every 24 hours that regulates sleep, temperature, hunger, hormones and more.
One of the biggest cues for the sleep-wake cycle in our circadian rhythm is light. This means that if you’re trying to wake up and fall asleep with the rise and set of the sun, you’re going to get the best sleep possible. If these two things are misaligned, you might find yourself experiencing significant sleep problems, including insomnia.
Working Nights Health Risks
The health effects of working nights include poorer sleep, but they also result in serious long-term problems over time.
Physical Health
Your circadian rhythm is heavily involved in your hormone production, which in turn can affect your metabolism. It’s involved in the regulation of your blood sugar, weight, and insulin, so its disruption can lead to health issues like diabetes and heart attacks.
Mental Health
Numerous studies have shown that there is a positive correlation between working nights and depression. In fact, many other mental disorders have been attributed to poor shift patterns – including dementia.
Aside from any direct sleep-related effects, you may also find that your mental health suffers from being on a different sleep-wake pattern to your loved ones as it will likely be more difficult to schedule time with them.
How to Make Night Shifts Easier
Unfortunately, for some lines of work, night shifts and irregular shift patterns are unavoidable. If this is the case for you or your employees, there are some things you can do to make the shifts a bit easier on your physical and mental health.
Schedule Night Shifts Together
Wherever possible, cluster your night shifts together. For example, it’s much better for your body to work six night shifts in a row than work a night shift followed by a day shift in turn for the same period. Doing the latter keeps your body on edge and does not let it settle into a pattern of sleep.
This includes keeping to a regular routine as much as possible, even on weekends.
Get Your Household to Help
Working night shifts will be much easier if the people you live with are on board. Let them know what your routine looks like for the week and ask them to be respectful with quieter volume levels while you’re asleep during the day.
It will also help to try to schedule a meal or some other kind of quality time with your loved ones around your different sleep patterns. It’s important to keep connections with your loved ones despite operating on different sleep-wake patterns, as this will keep feelings of isolation at bay.
Eat Properly
Preparing your meals ahead of time, eating healthily, and being wise about your caffeine intake will all play a big role in your health regarding night shifts. Preparing bulk meals several days in advance will give you more time to sleep when you need to, and eating healthily will reduce the risks attributed to metabolism outlined above. You might also consider taking a Vitamin D supplement, as night workers may be deficient in this because of less exposure to sunlight.
Stay hydrated with water, as fruit juices and carbonated drinks will cause your energy levels to spike and fall rapidly. It’s fine to consume coffee, but as with anything, it’s all about moderation. Try to avoid drinking any towards the end of your shift, for example.
Nap Properly
If it’s possible to do so, try to take a 20-30 minute nap halfway through your shift. A well-timed nap can reduce your risk of making errors, and keep you alert for the later parts of your shift when you might be starting to lose focus.
If you’re an employer, creating opportunities for your night shift employees to have naps at work is in your best interest. They’ll be more focused and productive throughout their shift and have lower long-term effects.
Get Night Shifts Right with Label Source
Employee health, both mental and physical, is in everyone’s best interest. You can set up your workplace with office signage and posters that correctly signpost available resources and guidance for employees at work.
Get in touch with Label Source today to find out how else we can help.
