Night Shift

And The Related Health Effects

When working the night shift it can become quite impossible to have a sound sleep during the daytime.  Not only because a human brain is programmed to rest and sleep during the night, but also because of the noise, which is perhaps the biggest disturbing factor.  People who sleep during the day have to deal with noisy neighbors, children, traffic and etc.

The brain generally requires at least 8 hours of sleep to feel nourished and rested.  But because of the busy environment during the daytime, it is not always possible to sleep 8 hours everyday.  As a result, your body will be tired and you will feel fatigued the whole time.

Day Sleeper

The sleep/wake cycle of the body is disturbed because of working in shifts.  When you are awake during the night and asleep during the day, your body does not receive the proper positive cues, because of the amount of light that is present in the environment during the daytime.

These signs are very important to regulate the circadian rhythms that control the sleep/wake cycle of the body and brain.  In turn, this will pose difficulty in sleeping.  Working at night can have an effect similar to jet lag.

The body, on an average, needs one hour per day to adjust to the changes in the sleeping habit but working in shifts disrupts this.  Hence the person who works night shift finds it quite impossible to sleep properly.

Working the night shift can also cause heart attacks.  People who work during the night and sleep during the day are more susceptible to heart diseases and even heart attacks, mainly, because of their work pattern.  This is because of lack of proper sleep, stressing your body during the night, chronic stress, ect.

Not just heart attacks,  an irregular heart beat is a good indicator of the condition your heart and your body is in as well.  Irregular heart beat can occur when you work at night and try to sleep during the day.  It is also a good indicator of how your body is taking this whole change in the sleep cycle.  An irregular heart beat can cause other diseases in the body as well.

Another very important problem that shift workers face is they are not able to relax from the work environment, after their shift is over.  This might not seem to be an important thing, but it sure is.  People who work during the day time mostly have 3-4 hours before they go to bed.  But night shift workers generally come home and get right into bed with all the stress and tension of work with them.

It is very important to relax and distance yourself from the stress of the work before you go to bed.  You could listen to music, eat something healthy, watch TV or read a book to relax.

A dark room is very important for sleeping during the day.  Relax, unwind and then go to bed in a dark room and get your eight hours of sleep.

top of Night Shift

Other related pages at Relax and Sleep

Aromatherapy : Cures For Insomnia : Insomnia Cure Bath
Breathing Technique : Deep Meditation Music : Sleep Apnea
How To Fall Asleep : Insomnia Solution : Power Nap