The Nighttime Working Shifts
Working could be better! Correct? Nobody enjoys getting out of bed in a hurry, washing and eating, and spending endless hours at work. For the rest of us who are forced to do this at night, it’s much worse. Numerous recent research studies have shown that working night shifts are detrimental to your health.
However, why is this the case? There can’t be only sunlight and no lunch shops open at three in the morning. Yes, indeed! Today’s essay will examine the detrimental impacts of midnight shifts on one’s health.
The Bad Impacts of Nighttime Shifts
Sleep Damage
Sleep is the primary and most prevalent issue. According to an Oxford University sleep specialist, everyone believes their body will adjust to bedtime during the day. But in actuality, we don’t! Despite our best efforts, and even for those accustomed to working nights, it’s thought that having a few drinks at 4 a.m. is comparable to having the same level of mental capacity.
For a late-night study session or one or two-night shifts, this might not be an issue, but the long-term adverse effects are severe. Working ten years of night shifts as a young or middle-aged person will cause the same amount of damage as six and a half years of age-related mental deterioration. It will require you around five years of working day shifts to regain the significant amount of cognitive abilities you squandered.
The Body Clock
Additionally, there is a condition known as shift work sleep disorder, which is believed to impact 10 to 40 percent of frequent shift workers due to sleep-related problems. They have trouble concentrating, and they are more likely to make mistakes, have mood swings, have poorer social skills, and struggle with drugs and alcohol. The suprachiasmatic nucleus, a region of your brain, is responsible for this. But let’s simply mark it the body clock for you and me.
Humans have evolved to be day-to-day creatures capable of tasks like spreadsheet creation, mammoth hunts, and cave cleaning. Then, at night, we would step down to bed. This tendency is ingrained in human DNA, much to how some animals, like foxes or owls, are predisposed to act in certain ways at night. It is known as the circadian cycle.
Risk of Other Bodily Diseases
However, sleep issues are not the sole risk! Our organs are among the numerous systems impacted by this cycle. During the day, your liver creates more enzymes needed for food processing. What therefore occurs when you snack at night? It doesn’t imply you have more time to savor your cupcake since it remains in your bloodstream for longer. It’s not good as the excess sugar in the bloodstream might cause type 2 diabetes. Your heart can also be impacted by excess fat, and if you work nights, your risk of developing heart disease is increased by 50%. The chances of obesity and cancer also increase.
Depression & Stress
The night shift employees themselves won’t be very surprised by any of this, since their nervous systems will already be alerting them to the fact that something is wrong. According to a Buenos Aires University study that was released in the scientific paper Sleep, these individuals’ serotonin levels are lower. Serotonin is the feel-good substance that flows out when we are happy, so if your body is producing less of it, that’s not a good thing. Low serotonin also has an impact on sleep, which can contribute to the creation of a negative feedback loop. As a result, you’ll feel depressed, sleep less, and feel even worse.
Are there any benefits?
In summary, working nighttime shifts can significantly damage your health, affecting your sleep, body clock, and increasing your risk of serious diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. The disruption to your circadian rhythm and the stress of nighttime work can lead to depression, lower serotonin levels, and cognitive decline over time. While some might enjoy the flexibility of nighttime work, the health drawbacks far outweigh any convenience. Ultimately, there are no real health benefits to nighttime work, making it important to consider the long-term consequences of a nighttime schedule.
For more insights on why waking up early could be a better choice, check out our article “Tips and Benefits of Waking Up Early!”