Shift workers are often required to be wide awake when their bodies want to sleep. Then, when they head home, they have to try to sleep when their body expects to be awake.

Everyone’s body has an internal “clock” that controls their circadian rhythms. These rhythms make you feel sleepy or alert at regular times every day. Among other factors, your clock is set by your exposure to sunlight. When you work at night and sleep during daylight, your body’s natural rhythms can become confused. This is known as a shift work sleep disorder.

How shift work impacts sleep

Studies show that shift workers with sleep disorders typically sleep one to four hours less than the average. They may also feel that the quality of their sleep is very poor and not feel refreshed when they wake up. This can hinder their performance at work. It can also make them less alert, putting them at risk of an injury on the job.

The condition usually lasts as long as someone is doing shift work. Once they begin sleeping at night time again, the problems tend to go away. But in some people, the sleep problems may continue even after the shift work schedule has ended.

The length and severity of the problem varies from person to person. Some people adjust better than others.

Someone working an occasional overnight shift to cover for a co-worker might have only a brief disturbance to their sleep pattern. Others who work a regular night shift could have ongoing challenges.

Shift work sleep disorder treatment

Many employers have plans to help their shift workers stay better rested. The goal is to lessen the effects of shift work on the workers’ body clocks. This keeps them healthier overall, as well as safer on the job.

Some of the techniques used by employers include:

• Reducing the number of times a worker changes shifts
• Changing shifts forward in time instead of backward
• Giving the workers regular rest periods
• Offering employees the option of exercise breaks
• Using bright light to imitate sunlight
  

Get help for shift work sleep disorders

If you’re having problems sleeping more than three times a week for a month, see your health care provider and ask for a referral to Salem Health’s Sleep Center to be evaluated for a sleep disorder.

You will be seen by a sleep medicine specialist who will identify possible sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea or restless leg syndrome.

Depending on your needs, sleep testing can be performed in your home or in the state-of-the-art sleep laboratory at Salem Hospital by experienced, licensed sleep technologists.

Identifying and treating the cause of your sleep disturbance can help get you back on the road to a good night’s sleep and improved health.