HOME › 
HEALTH

Challenges Faced by Night Shift Workers

Posted on the 04 March 2014 by Health_news

There are many types of work carried out in the world and some of them need to be done during the night as well. People who work night shifts have to face a lot of challenges while going about their job in the best possible manner. Their sleeping system gets challenged due to improper exposure of activity and light. Our body functions according to a rhythm which is set when it is exposed to the light. The level of melatonin is also controlled with exposure to light. When working night shifts, a person continues working when his body thinks that it is the time to sleep. Sleeping system gets strained as a result. It also has a lot of negative impact on the emotional life of a person as social activities get severely restricted. Night shift workers need to take care of following things in order to avoid negative impacts of their job as much as possible.

Night shift workers need to take care of following things 

  • Routine-It is very important to maintain a regular schedule of sleeping and compensate the hours lost during weekends. When a person sleeps in the same way during holidays or weekends just as weekdays, the rhythm of the body temperature stays adjusted according to the setting. It will help in better and improved sleep and high level of energy maintained in the long run.
  • Short nap-As the schedule of the night shift workers sorely misses sunlight, the body will tend towards sleeping for a long time in comparison to other people. If the workers still wish to have some interaction with their near and dear ones and as they may lose out on their sleep time. If they feel drowsy or un-rested, they must take 10 minutes to 45 minutes nap whenever there is a time during the day. Stage two sleep will help in physical charging up of bodies that will help you to stay alert through the day.
  • Regular exercise-The rhythm of the body temperature can be increased with the help of regular exercises before going for the night shift. This will also help a worker to stay alert and awake during the shift. This will also help in enjoying a deep sleep when the worker gets around it.
  • Stay in lighted environment during work-Night shift workers must expose themselves when working during the night shift. As body temperature increases due to light, a worker feels more energetic. If a person work energetically during work, a good sleep is not impossible after the night shift. Artificial light can also be used to combat fatigue.
  • Morning Sun needs to be avoided-Light must be avoided after completing the night shift. For this purposes, dark sunglasses needs to be worn. This way, the body will not get confused thinking that the time has come to wake up.Taking care of above mentioned tips will surely help people in coping with night shift at job.