Sleep disturbances caused by night work arise due to the desynchronization of the circadian rhythm and sleep-wakefulness due to the need to be active when the body is not ready for this. At night, all physiological parameters of the body are directed to rest.
There are various types of work schedules when you have to work at night. This can only be a night job or a rolling schedule, when shifts change frequently. In the latter case, the body is especially difficult to rebuild its biological clock to the regime of wakefulness at night.
As the person is drawn into the new mode of life, there is a gradual adaptation to the change in the rhythm of sleep-wakefulness. But it will never coincide with the rhythm of the family, with the surrounding setting during off-hours. This means that anyway, those who work at night will be forced to be active during the day. That is why people who work in shifts, often do not get enough sleep. At night, they are overcome by insomnia, they doze during the day and quickly tire at work. This is the cause of the risk of occupational injuries on the night shift. Because of stress and overwork, these people are more likely to develop various diseases, and because of lack of sleep and insomnia, they are more likely to abuse hypnotic drugs or to drink alcohol and tobacco.
Since people adapt to shift work in different ways, but for them their own conscious choice of the night shift is obligatory and necessary. You need to know that when working at night, there will always be problems with sleep and the strongest will survive here, that is, someone who can rebuild his body to a new circadian rhythm without harming his own health.
“Owls” adapt better than “larks” or “pigeons”, so it is important to know what type of night shift employee belongs to. It is preferable to have such a “sliding” shift schedule that moves clockwise: first, the morning shift, then the day, evening and night, and not vice versa. This is due to the fact that the natural cycle of the biological clock tends to 25 hours. In addition, you need to know that older people adapt to shift work more difficult than the young.
Staying in a bright light or in the dark at the appropriate time of day helps to shift the biological rhythm in the right direction. This requires a source of bright light in the workplace. Going home from work in the morning, you should protect your eyes from light with sunglasses , and at home, so that it is dark, you can hang dark curtains on windows that do not let in daylight.
To compensate for the lack of sleep during the day, a short sleep is recommended. At the beginning of the night shift helps shift workers quickly get involved in a cup of strong coffee. At the end of the shift, on the contrary, drinking coffee is undesirable, so as not to disturb daytime sleep.
Thus, it is necessary to take into account all this information and advice before agreeing to shift or night work.