Shift Work Sleeping Problems

We live in a 24 hour society where many people are working unsociable hours

365 / 24 / 7

• Night shifts  – i.e. going to work when its dark and your body clock thinks it should be going to sleep
• Early morning shifts – i.e. getting up super early at which point you were previously at your deepest level of sleep
• Afternoon shifts
• Rotating shifts – i.e. where over the period of a month we end up with a mixture of early, late and night shifts
• Extended hour shifts  – i.e. where we work 40 hours in 3 days  and then have 3 days off

The issue of shift work sleep disorder can occur when your work requirement and your body clock are out of synchronisation. These work schedules are counter intuitive with our natural body clocks requiring us to work when our body is telling us to go to sleep, and sleep when our body is signaling us to wake.

 Some people who work nights have no problem sleeping. Unfortunately !

It is important to note that some people adjust better than others to the demands of shift work. You perhaps have a friend who loves night shift and has no difficulty going to sleep in the morning in bright daylight. Unfortunately many people who work shifts get less quality sleep than their counterparts who work traditional 8 .00 am to 6.00 pm type hours.

Issues of shift sleep deprivation

An impact of sleep deprivation, is that many shift workers struggle with mental lethargy and sleepiness whilst at work. This has the potential of reducing productivity and putting them at risk of injury if they are completing work involving machinery or vehicles

How To Reduce The Impact Of Shift Work On Sleep

There are a numbers of things you can do to reduce the impact of shift work on sleep:

• Take regular breaks during the shift and make sure that you stay well hydrated
• If possible minimize the frequency of shift changes. If you work permanent nights then essentially your body clock can switch into this mode. If you have to work a rota of nights, late’s and early’s think about how you could adapt or modify the schedule
• If sleeping is a problem when changing shifts, try requesting a later shift, rather than earlier shift as it’s easier to adjustyour body clock  forward in time
• Use lighting to regulate your sleep-wake cycle
  • Increase light exposure at work (e.g. create a bright light environment)
  • Reduce or limit light exposure when it’s time to sleep. It may help to use blackout shades or heavy curtains to block out daylight in your bedroom.
• Try and avoid watching television or going on the computer immediately before you go to bed

For more information on sleeping download our FREE Sleep Guide