Are you working on the ‘yawn time?’ You are not alone if you work outside of 9-5 hours! We live in a 24*7 world where hospitals to restaurants and from enterprises to SMBs, they all work around the clock, from sundown to sunrise. Millions of people around the world are working on the shift basis. But have you ever thought about how does this work environment affect those people who are working in shifts?
Plenty of people out there thinks that working in shifts might be a social as well as the economic necessity. Truth be told, it is not necessarily a benign one. Research on the effects of shift work on people’s health goes back for decades. However, some research generated for the last few years along with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) found that long-term shift work probably increases the risk of cancer and this is really getting people’s attention nowadays.
Let us now see the impacts of not getting along with nature:
Messed up sleep
About 10 % of people doing shift such as night and graveyard shift work develop sleep problems, which include insomnia, having trouble staying awake at work and being excessively sleepy. The most common issue is just not getting enough shut-eye. Well, in other words, you can describe shift workers by default will be sleep deprived. It is harder to sleep amid the day as it goes against your body’s natural clock, moreover, it is often too noisy in the day time.
Pregnancy problems
When you mess with your body’s natural circadian rhythms, without a doubt seems to have an impact on your ability to have a healthy baby. One Danish study found those who worked fixed nighttime hours had an 85 percent higher miscarriage risk than day workers. Also, a 2010 study from Italy linked shift work with the higher risk of early delivery and low birth-weight babies.
You will get hurt
The workplace injury rate for the people who work overnight shifts is almost 50% higher than the day workers. That is because you are more tired amid night than the day when you are working off hours. In addition to that, there is a possibility that your workplace probably runs with fewer employees so there are fewer people to help you when you are doing any risky tasks. Also, if you deal with the public, then there might be more alcohol use at night, which makes night jobs more dangerous.
Weight Gain
Have you ever wondered why are you always hungry amid your night shifts? That is because your appetite for high-calorie foods will eventually go up. Numerous studies have linked weight gain to sleep deprivation. The extra weight that you gain from working shifts is accountable for most of your health concerns. For example, a possible increased risk for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
You could have a higher cancer risk
According to the data that are collected from US Nurses’ Health Study, WHERE 240,000 nurses were followed for 30 years. The researchers have found that women who work for many years on the night shift have an increased risk of breast, endometrial and colon cancer. Moreover, researchers also think that it is related to melatonin levels. But those who were with high levels of the hormone in the study, they had the lowest cancer risk.
Tips for the shifts
- Take an hour to relax after work, whether it is day or evening. Relaxing music or a steaming shower will help you
- Eat high protein foods, and eat meals at the same time, seven days a week. Make this as your routine. This schedule will be of a great help when it comes to maintaining the body’s clock.
- Avoid coffee, tea, colas, and all other caffeine drinks. These drinks interfere with your sleep. On a coffee break, it’s better to drink orange juice and walk around. Moreover, physical activity helps you stay awake.
- Avoid drinking any alcoholic beverages before your bedtime. Even though the sedative effect helps you fall asleep, it will wear off in 2 to 3 hours. Hence, causes you disturbed sleep in the following night.
- Never ever crash onto your bed in an empty stomach. Even if you don’t feel like eating much, at least try a glass of milk or dairy products, since they promote sleep.
- Exercise on an alternate day after your sleep. If you are sleeping during daytime it’s better to avoid early morning exercise, since that can keep you awake throughout the day.
You can often sleep better just by simply following these practices. Moreover, Sleep hygiene consists of fundamental habits as well as tips that will help you to develop a pattern of healthy and deep sleep. If you are one among the people who are working on shifts, the first priority is to take care of yourself.
