Is Shift Work Sleep Disorder Wrecking Your Life?
Shift work sleep disorder affects around five million people. That's a lot of people who are going through their day sleep deprived because their job is stopping them from getting the sleep they need. These folk work in a wide range buy cialis 20mg of industries including transport, hospitality, emergency services and nursing. Any job that requires working at night and sleeping during the day can put your at risk of sleep deprivation.
So how does shift work affect our sleep? Those of us who work at night and sleep during the day are working in opposition to their inbuilt circadian rhythm. How does the circadian rhythm work? It is actually a 24 hour clock that is triggered by sunlight & controls our sleep/wake cycles. Melatonin, a sleep inducing hormone, is produced during darkness and is diminished when the sun comes up making us feel wide awake. No matter how many hours we've already been awake the melatonin in our brain decreases on seeing bright light and we will feel wide awake. Even those who have worked shifts for many years never totally overcome this disruption to their circadian rhythm.
What are health problems associated with shift work? Sleep deprivation over many months or years can negatively impact our health in several ways. There is the ever present feelings of tiredness and lethargy during the day, not to mention the dangers of driving tired.Even more serious, our immune system can become depressed exposing us to more risk of diseases such as the flu.
What is the answer then for shift workers? Fortunately there are ways we can minimize the damage from this sleep disorder, but it demands that you make getting sleep a priority. The two main enemies of sleeping during the day are noise and light. This is why your bedroom has to be the main focus. Make sure your room is as dark as possible by installing the thickest blinds you can find. It may be necessary to move your bedroom to an isolated part of the house which is removed from the noise of other family members. If you can't do this, at least ask you family to co-operate by keeping their noise down during the day and always use earplugs.
Don't let your body wake up! Use a pair of dark sunglasses when driving home from work to block out the sunlight. Limit your caffeine intake during the latter part of your shift to prevent restlessness.
Establish a sleep routine and never break it, not even when you have a day off. Make sure your family and friends know what times of the day you sleep so that they don't disturb you.
If shift work sleep disorder is affecting your lifestyle despite the above advice, it may be advisable to give up shift work and find another job. Always make your health and wellbeing your number one priority.
