5 Tips To Stay Healthy During Night Shift Work

In recent times, the trend of working night shifts has increased a lot.In fact, many Americans are doing jobs at night that were traditionally done during the regular workday hours of 9 to 5.Working night shifts can be good from a financial aspect, but such jobs are not good from a health aspect.

A study published in Safety and Health at Work in 2010 reports that night shifts are a risk factor for health and well-being, at both social and psychophysical levels, starting from a disruption of biological circadian rhythms and sleep/wake cycle and ending in several psychosomatic troubles and disorders, likely also including cancer, and extending to impairment of performance efficiency as well as family and social life.

* Take Frequent Breaks

Whether you are working a 9-to-5 job or night shifts, taking frequent breaks is a must. Taking breaks can protect you from the potential hazards of hours of sitting every day. It helps boost creativity and passion, refresh your attention span and sustain concentration, lower your body mass index, keep your eyes happy and healthy, and can help with memory and learning.

* Exercise When You Can

Working night shifts does not mean that you can skip exercising. Regular exercise helps your body adapt to stressful circumstances, including the night shift’s nontraditional sleep schedule. It even boosts your immunity, keeps you alert, and improves your concentration and memory.

* Stick to a Regular Sleep Pattern

People doing night shifts suffer from sleep-related issues, as the body clock finds it difficult to adjust to sleeping during daylight. Also, those working night shifts get far fewer hours of shut eye a week than their day-working colleagues.

* Limit Your Caffeine Intake

While doing night shift jobs, people tend to keep on drinking coffee, tea and other caffeinated beverages to help them stay alert. But drinking excess caffeine can be bad for your health. Caffeine can stay in your system for up to eight hours and affect your sleep.

* Check Your Vitamin D Level

Working nights can mean reduced exposure to daylight. This can lead to a vitamin D deficiency, which is linked to a vast range of health risks, including a number of cancers.Vitamin D also plays an important role in the absorption of calcium in the body. Night-shift workers may be at higher risk for thinning of the bones from inadequate vitamin D.