Shift Work Sleep Disorder
Do you have a tendency to feel groggy even after getting a decent amount of sleep?
Are you having trouble focusing throughout the day?
Do you frequently suffer from headaches and eye strain?
If you work the night shift and wrestle with these symptoms, you may be experiencing shift work sleep disorder.
What is Shift Work Sleep Disorder?
Shift work sleep disorder is a form of disordered sleeping that typically affects people who work unconventional hours.
People who work the night shift, for example, have to be awake and alert for their shifts during the hours of the night when most people are asleep, and they have to sleep during the day when most people are at work. This disrupts their circadian rhythm, the system in charge of their sleep/wake cycle, which can make it difficult for them to fall asleep in the morning and feel well-rested at night.
Night shift workers who have shift work sleep disorder typically have trouble falling and staying asleep when they want to go to bed, which leads to poor sleep quality. As a result, they can exhibit some or all of the following symptoms:
- Grogginess
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Lack of motivation
- Insomnia
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- Difficulty focusing
- Memory impairment
Over time, shift work sleep disorder can lead to health complications like an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, drug dependency (many people with shift work sleep disorder rely on medication to stay awake at night and fall asleep during the day), weight gain, and gastrointestinal issues.
Shift work sleep disorder makes it challenging for night shift workers to be able to provide the time, energy, care, and focus that is necessary to perform well during their shift, and it keeps them from feeling well-rested and energized when they wake up in the afternoon.
This presents a major problem, especially because most night shift workers have essential jobs. When paramedics, police officers, firefighters, nurses and doctors, and people in charge of safely manufacturing essential goods have to give their all and push through fatigue in order to fire on all cylinders, it has the potential to negatively impact countless people.
It is important for night shift workers to understand shift work sleep disorder and how they can prevent it from their daily lives.
Combating Shift Work Sleep Disorder
If you work the night shift, you are at an increased risk of developing shift work sleep disorder.
The best way to combat this sleep disorder and improve your quality of sleep is to try to get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each day.
In addition to working non-traditional hours, many night shift workers also sleep for fewer hours than their day shift working counterparts. This increases the likelihood of developing shift work sleep disorder and exacerbates the symptoms of this disorder. Getting the recommended amount of sleep every day can make a significant difference when it comes to your sleep health.
To make it easier for you to fall asleep and stay asleep so that you can get a proper amount of rest each day, keep the following tips in mind:
- Wear sunglasses on your way home from work to minimize your exposure to sunlight before bedtime.
- Keep your bedroom cool enough for you to fall asleep.
- Invest in blackout curtains or an eye mask to help block out daylight while you are trying to rest.
- Maintain a consistent bedtime routine and sleep schedule, even on your days off work.
- Make sure your family members, roommates, and any friends that live with you know to stay quiet and respectful of your sleep time during the day.
- Avoid eating spicy foods close to bedtime.
- Don’t drink caffeine within five hours of the time you want to go to sleep.
You can also help reduce the negative effects of night shift work by doing the following:
- Reduce your commute if possible so that you can go to bed quickly after your shift.
- Try to keep a consistent work schedule so your body can get used to your shift work.
- Make sure to take days off after working consecutive night shifts if you can so that you can have a couple of days of high-quality rest before returning to working nights.
Trying to work night shifts while suffering from shift work sleep disorder can be a challenge, but it is not impossible. When you practice the strategies above, you can minimize the impact of shift work sleep disorder and improve your sleep health while working nights.
Night Shift Nutrition is a community focused on living your best life, while working nights. We do this by sharing our experiences and science based educations. The point is to not only survive working nights but to thrive! If this sounds like something you’d like to be a part of you can apply to join our facebook group or subscribe to our email list.
