Many industries, like healthcare and businesses that must maintain operations around the clock, opt for shift work. This means that workers may complete a shift during the evening, at night or on weekends. These non-traditional work hours pose a challenge for scheduling and performing regular activities like appointments, family time and chores. Further, they can also cause sleep disruption and increase the potential for health problems.
How Shift Work Impacts Health
Truckers, construction workers, firefighters, military personnel and medical workers are just a few examples of workers in industries that commonly have shift work. While these positions are vital to keeping many essential businesses working seamlessly, the unusual work schedule can take a toll.
Workers on the night shift, or any irregular hours, often have a disrupted circadian rhythm that makes it difficult to get enough good quality sleep. The National Library of Medicine highlights some of the risks associated with shift work1:
- Workplace accidents
- Vehicle accidents
- Scheduling conflicts
- Burnout
- Substance use
- Physical health conditions
- Mental illness
UCLA Health reports that working a nonstandard schedule can put shift workers at increased risk of developing poor health conditions like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, digestive issues and cancer2. The irregular hours can also take a toll on mental health, making it difficult to spend time with family or socialize. These factors can contribute to shift workers having a higher risk of developing anxiety, depression, insomnia and high stress levels.
Knowing Whether You Have Shift Work Syndrome
Shift work syndrome, also called shift work sleep disorder, can affect workers on both set and rotating schedules. Symptoms reported by the Cleveland Clinic include3:
- Insomnia
- Excessive sleepiness during waking hours
- Low mood
- Feeling irritable
- Trouble concentrating and staying alert
- Headaches
- No energy
PubMed also outlines diagnostic criteria including the duration and pattern of symptoms that indicate a problem4. If you are a shift worker who experiences any of these symptoms, you should discuss the possibility of shift work sleep disorder with your doctor. Keeping a sleep journal that tracks your bedtimes, waking times, sleep patterns and symptoms will help them determine the correct diagnosis.
How to Address the Challenges of Shift Work and Improve Health
If your work schedule conflicts with your body's natural sleep rhythm, there are ways to overcome the difficulties and improve your sleep and your health. Adopting good sleep hygiene habits is also crucial to help combat shift work syndrome. Treatment options include:
- Sticking to the same sleep schedule every day
- Keeping your bedroom cool, dark, quiet and comfortable
- Scheduled naps
- Bright light therapy
- Melatonin supplements
- Doctor-prescribed medications
- Treating sleep disorders that impact sleep quality
- Behavioral therapy to improve sleep and mental health5
It's important to discuss ongoing sleep disturbances and other symptoms with your doctor. Together, you can find a personalized treatment plan that addresses the reasons behind your disrupted sleep so you can once more get the deep rest you need to achieve high job performance and maintain your health.
References:
- National Library of Medicine - Shift Work Hazards
- UCLA Health - 5 long-term health effects of shift work
- Cleveland Clinic - Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD)
- National Library of Medicine Shift Work and Shift Work Sleep Disorder
- Wiley Online Library - Behavioural therapy for shift work disorder improves shift workers' sleep, sleepiness and mental health: A pilot randomised control trial