It’s a Hard Day’s Night

But it doesn’t have to be. Here’s how you can make working night shift easier on your body.

A world of opposites

Now that Ann Kirkpatrick, R.N., has adjusted to it, she really likes working night shift.

At the end of her first week on night shift, Ann Kirkpatrick, R.N., knew she desperately needed to get more sleep. “Napping midshift clearly was not an option,” jokes the medical-surgical intensive care unit nurse.

Kirkpatrick is not alone. More than 2,000 of our colleagues start their day when the sun goes down. “It’s not unusual for people to struggle with working night shift, especially in the beginning,” says employee health director Carol Guanowsky, R.N. “Most employees adjust after three or four months.”

It took Kirkpatrick just a few weeks to find her rhythm. Now a five-year night shift veteran, she sticks to a routine: eight hours of sleep after she gets home from work. “It’s my best line of defense against getting sick,” she says. She also takes a nap before work prior to her first shift of the week. That allows her to enjoy weekend days with her husband and three children before returning to her nightowl schedule.

“We night shifters live in a world all our own,” Kirkpatrick says. “We lead lives that are completely opposite of day shifters, and it can be challenging.”

Kirkpatrick is on the right track. Although many night-shift workers break their sleep into segments, it’s not advisable. “It can throw the body’s circadian (sleep) rhythm out of whack, leading to health problems,” says occupational medicine physician Carmine Pellosie, D.O., medical director of employee health services and HealthWorks.

In fact, the World Health Organization recently said long-term shift work that disrupts circadian rhythm may be linked to an increased risk for breast and prostate cancer. Such disruptions affect the production of melatonin, a hormone that maintains circadian rhythm. A lack of melatonin may lead to decreased immunity, Pellosie says, but the link is not conclusive.

What’s the bottom line? “Lifestyle choices and sleep hygiene can help combat any potential detrimental effects of working night shift,” he says.

To stay healthy while working night shift, follow the chart on the below and learn the dos and don’ts.

Do

• Get bright light exposure at work so your body thinks it’s daytime
• Wear sunglasses while driving home so your body thinks it’s dusk
• Have a bedtime ritual, like taking a warm bath
• Use room-darkening shades
• Wear eyeshades and earplugs
• Use “white noise” like a fan to mask sounds
• Go to sleep as soon as possible after getting home
• Get eight hours of sleep
• Eat a light meal or snack before going to bed
• Talk to your doctor about melatonin supplements

Don’t

• Rely on sleep aids to fall asleep or caffeine to stay awake
• Keep lights dimmed at work
• Drink caffeine for four to six hours before bedtime
• Drink alcohol before bedtime
• Smoke cigarettes before bedtime
• Break your sleep into segments or naps
• Keep the phone by your bedside
• Keep your bedroom too warm; body temperature drops naturally at night
• Eat heavy meals before bedtime

If you’ve been a shift worker for longer than six months and haven’t adjusted, the best way to learn if you have shift-work sleep disorder is to see a sleep specialist. Experts at our Sleep Disorders Center can help you learn if any other factors are affecting your sleep. Learn more at lvh.org/checkup or 610-402-CARE.

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