Shift work a health risk
If you’re among the one in five North Americans who works a night shift, swing shift or rotating shift, you may enjoy easy traffic, quiet phones and absent bosses. But those schedules pose potential risks to your health: Depression, weight gain, stomach trouble and irritability are common complaints, not to mention fertility problems or breast, prostate and colon cancers. And here’s the latest news: add heart attacks and strokes.
Gearing up while the rest of the world winds down throws off your body clock. That messes with hormone levels and disrupts the natural rhythm of many of your body’s systems. Normally, your heart rate, metabolism and brain go into slowdown mode after dark.
Fortunately, there are effective ways to reduce the toll that your work schedule can take on you.
Embrace your topsy-turvy schedule: Adopt a consistent get-up and go-to-sleep schedule, seven days a week. And try to keep your shift-work hours unchanged from week to week. If you have to work a rotating shift, rotate forward (for instance, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. this week, 2 a.m. to 10 a.m. next week, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. after that).
Turn night into day: Set your daily activities so they mirror what you’d do if you were working during the daylight hours: Socialize with coworkers, be active during your break (walk around and bust a few aerobic moves, such as marching in place.) Keep lights turned up to daytime brightness. And sip a cup of coffee or tea as you start your shift. But don’t drink any past the halfway point of your shift.
Downshift stress: Working overnight hours raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can fuel everything from heart attacks to headaches, immune-system problems to chronic pain. Burn it off by exercising before you go to work (exercising afterward could make sleep more difficult). And make time for your family and friends (one factor in shift-work tension is loneliness). Meditation promotes relaxation and dispels tension. RealAge.com has simple directions to get you started.
Eat sleepy foods before bed: Whole grains will help you snooze; make them a big part of your last meal before turning in — they’re sleep-friendly. (Your first two meals should have lower-carb foods, such as lean proteins, good fats and veggies, to help you feel more mentally alert.)
Set the stage for sleep: The hardest part of shift work can be falling asleep when the sun’s up. On your way home, wear dark sunglasses so morning light can’t reset and foul up your internal clock. Then follow a relaxing bedtime ritual: Take a shower, do a few stretches, and try progressive relaxation exercises. Darken your bedroom windows or wear an eye mask, and drift off.