How to Deal with Shift Work Sleep Problems
If you notice that you are unable to work as long as you used to, or if the price of shift working is finally starting to have an effect your health, you could be suffering from either a circadian rhythm or shift work sleep disorder. This complaint may mean that you are increasingly sleepy through the daytime but unable to sleep while fighting the urge to sleep on the job when working the night shift. Here are several things that you can do in order to treat the symptoms.
The most obvious cure is to try to alter your work schedule to hours that are more sociable. By working at night, you are confusing your body’s inner clock, termed the circadian rhythm, which regulates itself with the rising and setting of the sun to know when it is time to wake and sleep respectively. Shift work pushes your body into an abnormal state of working when it should be asleep and sleeping when it would ordinarily be awake. This is the reason that you feel sleepy during the night and then cannot fall asleep during the day although you are extremely tired. Consequently, if feasible, it is in your best interests to have a chat with your work cialis prescriptions supervisor to see if shift changes can be made.
Here are some sleep strategies for shift workers that you may like to try. If you must work your shift, it is advisable to stay away from caffeinated drinks while you are working, and especially right before you go to sleep. Caffeine dries out the airways, and may act as a stimulant for a while, but will cause you to feel even more tired and groggy after the buzz wears off. This could cause snoring sleep apnea in many folks. So, endeavor to drink fruit crushes, or ask your physician about natural supplements you can take while you work.
Other symptoms connected with shift work sleep disorder include insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness. The latter is closely connected with a chronic neurological disorder called Narcolepsy where a sufferer may find themselves doing things that they cannot recall later or experiencing dramatic dreams while not actually sleeping. Additional consequences of SWSD are fatigue, decreased ability to concentrate or focus, irritability and feelings of tension and depression.
Maintaining a record of your work schedules and sleep patterns is usually enough information for your physician to reach a correct diagnosis. However, for on-going sleep problems or if an underlying sleep disorder is suspected, you might be asked to keep a sleep diary in which you maintain a record of your sleeping habits. You should also try to keep a regular sleep schedule, even on your days off or at weekends. If you believe they may be helpful, ask your physician about medications such as Ritalin or Melotonin. It is crucial that you do not try and self diagnose your problem as it may be something more than a shift work sleep disorder.
Tags: circadian rhythm, insomnia, melatonin, night shift, shift work, shift work sleep disorder, shift workers, sleep disorder, sleep disorders, sleep patterns
