my day start at 12 mid-day and I sleep for a hour or two at 4.00 and i stay up till 6.00 in the morning.
Answer:
My boyfriend used to work from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. He slept during the day. There were no major physical side effects; however, he missed seeing the sun, he got cranky easily, and he missed doing things with his loved ones during the day. We couldn't attend many social functions and vacationing was impossible. Now, that's just us. My co-worker's fiance works overnights, and he loves it. They make it work. Just depends on how you handle it.
none if you get enough sleep.
One quarter of the work force in industrialized countries perform some sort of shift work. Millions of Americans are considered shift workers, including doctors and nurses, pilots, bridge-builders, police officers, customer service representatives, commercial drivers, and others.
Sleepiness is common among shift workers, especially during the night shift: * 80% of shift workers feel tired during their night shift.
* 60% believe they doze off at work about once per week.
* 20% fall asleep on the night shift.
* Sleepiness in shift workers is similar to that seen in primary sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy. Reasons for sleepiness in shift workers are multiple: * Shift workers often do not get enough sleep before their shifts.
* Sleep after the shift is usually shortened (by an average of one-third).
* Even if adequate in duration, sleep near shifts is usually fragmented.
* The day-night cycle (circadian rhythm) of the brain and the body may get disrupted when working different shifts.
* Shift workers may have other primary sleep disorders independent of their work schedule. Consequences of sleepiness can be hazardous to the worker鈥檚 health and may cause suboptimal work performance: * Near-crashes when driving after night shifts are common.
* Shift workers are at increased risk for a variety of chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases.
* Shift workers often complain of insomnia, disrupted sleep schedules, reduced performance, difficulties with personal relationships, and irritability/depressed mood.
* Sleepiness effects are similar to that of moderate alcohol consumption.
* Several disasters, such as the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl and the Challenger space shuttle disaster, have been attributed to poor performance related to shift work. The SolutionsThere are multiple strategies that may help a worker cope with the sleep-wake cycle disturbances resulting from working different shifts. If your sleep-wake cycle does not adjust perfectly with your work schedule, it may be useful to control your shift schedule and your environment, instead. * The number of shifts worked in a row has not been shown to be an important factor in sleepiness.
* Direction in which shifts rotate may be important. Shifts that rotate forward are better tolerated (see Table 1).
* Duration of shifts contribute to the ill effects, the shorter shifts being better tolerated.
* Exposure to bright light (more than 2000 lux, such as the light of 5 standard fluorescent tube bulbs) increases alertness by inhibiting the secretion of a natural hormone called melatonin. Melatonin promotes sleep and its secretion increases in darkness. It is best to maximize light exposure early in a shift and avoid it 6 hours before bed time.
* Strategic napping is one way of getting enough sleep before a shift, and during the shift (if feasible). A nap of no longer than 30 minute can restore functionality. Longer naps tend to lead to sleep inertia or grogginess with awakening.
* Phase shift is another way to manage rotating shifts, as one may intentionally move bed time towards the anticipated shift end time. This can be done if there are a few days off between shift switches.
* Medications
o Caffeine is a stimulant that starts working 30 minutes after consumption. Its effect peaks at 2 hours and lasts for about 5 hours. Problems associated with its use include disruption of subsequent sleep, tolerance, and a diuretic effect that may be dehydrating or becomes a nuisance.
* Sleepiness effects are similar to that of moderate alcohol consumption.
* Several disasters, such as the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl and the Challenger space shuttle disaster, have been attributed to poor performance related to shift work. There are several other remedies suggested to improve tolerance in working shifts. Theses treatments are not well studied and a physician should supervise their use. Some are: * Sedatives (hypnotics) may be used to improve sleep after a shift, but their effect on shift work is unknown.
* Melatonin (sleep rhythm aid): may be used to modify the sleep phase to a new sleep schedule, especially when combined with strategic light and darkness exposure.
* Modafinil (Provigil庐): has been shown to improve vigilance in night shift workers, but to a limited extent. In Summary:Shift work is prevalent in the industrial world, and it鈥檚 associated with sleepiness. Sleepiness may have adverse consequences on the workers鈥?health and on their performance at work. Awareness of this problem is important in preventing these outcomes. The effective remedies available for shift work sleep disorder are controlling the environment, shift manipulation, and, in some cases, medications.Following those few steps may help you cope with shift work: * Keep to the same sleep schedule when your shifts are constant, even on non-work days.
* Have as much exposure to bright light as possible when you need to be alert, and avoid light exposure in the morning after night shift.
* Protect your sleep by eliminating noise and light from your sleep environment (use eye masks and ear plugs).
* Avoid taking caffeine close to bedtime.
* Avoid taking alcohol since it disrupts sleep, even though it may seem to help in falling asleep, initially.
* Nap before work, and if possible on breaks during the shift since any sleep is better than no sleep.
* If you still have problems, contact your physician, or a Sleep Specialist.
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