| Often the night or graveyard shift, usually | | | | to work a night shift, you should keep your sleep |
| 10:00PM to 6:00AM, 11:00PM to 7:00AM, or | | | | patterns the same on your off days, and you |
| 10:00PM to 8:00AM with variations, is the entry | | | | should protect the time slot when you're |
| level shift at large 24-hour companies, social | | | | supposed to sleep. If you have to change shifts |
| service care facilities, prisons, medical facilities and | | | | constantly and it involves the night shift, you |
| for emergency service personnel and first | | | | should do whatever you can to protect your |
| responders. But it is also the shift of choice, in | | | | sleep time. Don't exercise within two hours of |
| many cases, for working students, working | | | | trying to sleep, but do exercise, and use blackout |
| moms and single parents, people that work two | | | | curtains and earplugs. In other words, practice |
| jobs or for some who just like the perks it | | | | what Hirshkowitz calls "sleep hygiene". More sleep |
| sometimes brings including more time off or the | | | | rather than "less"... which shift workers tend to |
| extra time during conventional waking or | | | | get is also critical; 8 hours during the day under |
| productive hours. But this shift comes with a | | | | 'ideal' conditions is like 5 ½ or 6 during the |
| grave cost. | | | | night, 6 hours of day time sleep is like getting |
| I came from 5-years at a job like this and have | | | | about 4 at night, and so on down the scale. And |
| several friends who are still working that job and | | | | broken sleep, a hazard of day-sleepers, is almost |
| shift; some 5-days a week and some long 4-day | | | | worse than no sleep. Hirshkowitz says it is easy |
| a week shifts, but none with special time off | | | | to see the negative effects. What happens if you |
| benefits or shorter work weeks so I know the | | | | have not had enough sleep? With sleep |
| hazards first hand. It took me almost 3-years to | | | | deprivation, your balance is off; you have |
| physically get off that shift and get back to a | | | | gastrointestinal upset, your eyes ache, and you |
| semi-normal sleep pattern, and after 5-years, I still | | | | are more prone toward colds, headaches and |
| don't sleep as soundly as I used to. | | | | whatever else is going around. |
| Another friend, Jack Reeder, has worked the | | | | Most shift workers know that they need more |
| same shift at a local hospital for 18-years because | | | | sleep. Some choose not to take the step to |
| it allows him to work one week on and one week | | | | correct their chronic sleep deprivation because of |
| off and he likes the flexibility to travel and pursue | | | | activities or because they like the extra money. |
| his hobbies, but it still comes with a price. He and | | | | Others have no choice because of family |
| most of my friends working these shifts are now | | | | responsibilities, childcare or because it is the only |
| chronic insomniacs. According to the American | | | | option for them to afford to go to school. But if |
| Heart Association, weekly changes of sleep time | | | | at all possible, nobody should work graveyard or |
| affect the cardiac sympathetic and | | | | do shift work that includes the night shift for an |
| parasympathetic autonomic controls in our bodies. | | | | extended period of time. |
| The sympathetic nervous system accelerates | | | | The schedule is the worst for day people who |
| body functions, including heart rate and digestion. | | | | naturally like to go to bed early and get up early". |
| The parasympathetic nervous system slows | | | | Evening or night owls do better but eventually the |
| down some of these systems causing what | | | | shift affects everyone. Night people will |
| some researchers say afflicts many people who | | | | sometimes say up to the first five years they |
| work a shift schedule - higher rates of accidents | | | | worked this shift, they didn't have a noticeable |
| and cardiovascular disease. | | | | problem with going from night sleep to day sleep |
| What this means is that the natural circadian, or | | | | or sleeping day hours in general. But eventually it |
| daily, rhythms of your biological clock are | | | | takes its toll. Studies show that extended |
| constantly wrestling with your work schedule if | | | | graveyard shift work, can affect longevity. It's |
| you are required to work during the hours when | | | | not called the "graveyard shift" for no reason. |
| your body and brain would normally be resting. | | | | Studies have shown links to graveyard workers |
| The tug-of-war happens because your circadian | | | | or shift change workers that include the night shift |
| rhythm and your lifestyle are not in sync. | | | | to increase breast and prostrate cancer, diabetes, |
| Circadian rhythms are, in part, tied to the 24-hour | | | | weight shifts and obesity, mood swings, |
| cycle of the Earth's rotation and the amount of | | | | forgetfulness, chronic fatigue and a weakening of |
| daylight to which you are exposed. | | | | the immune system in general for years. In 2007, |
| According to Raffaello Furlan, MD, a professor at | | | | the International Agency for Research on Cancer, |
| the University of Milan and the lead author of their | | | | the cancer arm of the World Health Organization, |
| sleep study, "This resistance of the body's internal | | | | added overnight shift work as a probable |
| 'clock' to change with varied work schedules | | | | carcinogen, just like UV rays and diesel exhaust |
| indicates that people don't adapt as easily as we | | | | fumes. It is a surprisingly positive step validating a |
| think to shift work." Certain processes like cell | | | | concept once considered wacky or at best |
| division and DNA repair happen at regular times | | | | unlikely. And, it is based on research that finds |
| while we sleep and are missed by shift workers. | | | | higher rates of breast and prostate cancer among |
| Circadian rhythms also seem to control the | | | | women and men whose work day starts after |
| amount of and time when various hormones are | | | | dark. |
| released in the body, such as cortisol, growth | | | | Many companies and organizations in the U.S. and |
| hormone, melatonin and testosterone, which | | | | worldwide have begun to recognize the sacrifice |
| control weight, energy, and reaching the 'deep | | | | of night shift workers and have compensated |
| sleep' state among many other processes. | | | | them for their sacrifices, as well as trying to |
| "Because the release time of these substances | | | | cut-down the related increases in their accident |
| might not match your schedule, it can lead to | | | | and sickness ratios with shorter shifts for |
| health problems", say Furlan and other Italian | | | | 40-hours pay, shorter work weeks, and |
| researchers. | | | | non-traditional rotations including flextime and the |
| The researchers believe that the higher rate of | | | | options of part-time and job-share types of |
| sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal and | | | | positions. Graveyard workers are generally |
| cardiovascular diseases, and accidents that shift | | | | compensated with 10% higher wages than their |
| workers experience may be due to the stress | | | | day-worker counterparts. They are also often |
| that the frequent changing of sleep and awake | | | | compensated with additional sick or compensatory |
| periods place on the body's nervous system. | | | | time or allowed extra time off without pay, but |
| Max Hirshkowitz, PhD, director of Baylor College | | | | also without attendance penalties. Perks like areas |
| of Medicine sleep research center in Houston and | | | | for naptime on break or between shifts or |
| the author of a popular book on sleep disorders | | | | recreational facilities are also common. In New |
| says that the biological clock is a strong force in | | | | York, some companies are supplying sleep |
| determining people's sleep habits, and there are | | | | capsules for 20-minute naps for both shift |
| three basic processes that govern and regulate | | | | workers and day workers in high stress positions. |
| sleep patterns. The are the circadian rhythms, | | | | New studies suggest the use of 'light boxes' in a |
| homeopathic rhythms, and anything that activates | | | | special area where shift workers work or in the |
| the sympathetic nervous system and can | | | | break room will make them sharper. Workers |
| interfere with sleep, says Hirshkowitz, "For most | | | | who do not have physically or mentally challenging |
| people, it's more difficult to sleep during the day. | | | | positions or are in an observation capacity with |
| Light is a stimulant, and there is more noise during | | | | lots of sitting should always work with a partner |
| the day." | | | | and be allowed access to television, radio, a |
| Your biological clock tells you that the sleepiest | | | | computer or something that interests them to |
| time of the day is 4:00AM, Hirshkowitz says, yet | | | | keep them alert, between or after their duties |
| many shift workers drink coffee around that time | | | | are done. Eating healthy foods rather than |
| to stay awake. "Then they can't go to sleep, or | | | | excessive amounts of caffeine and sugar is |
| they sleep but wake up a short time later," he | | | | advised and wearing sunglasses in the morning, |
| says. "It's equivalent to drinking coffee after | | | | from sunrise until bedtime to cut out a lot of the |
| dinner." | | | | blue light which tells the body that it is morning, is |
| Shift workers also often develop destructive | | | | also helpful. |
| habits like trying to change their sleep patterns on | | | | Let us hope that these and additional balancing |
| the weekends or their days off because they | | | | measures will become common knowledge, |
| want to be with their friends or families. But | | | | uniform in practice and mandatory before more |
| according to Dr. Hirshkowitz, this is the wrong | | | | people end up far too young in the graveyard for |
| thing to do! "It creates a cycle of sleep | | | | which their shift is nicknamed. |
| deprivation", he says. He advises that if you have | | | | |