Sleeping well for shift workers

Posted November 06, 2009 23:20:00

Rafael Castillo, MD

Philippine Daily Inquirer

HAVING A GOOD NIGHT’S REST IS still one of the best ways our body can recover from the wear and tear of daily stress. The best time to sleep is still during the night especially between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. Sleep during this time has a much higher rest value than other hours.

Unfortunately for some people, their work requires that they have to be fully awake during these hours. And usually these shift workers may not get the full rest which their bodies need even if they sleep the whole day after work.

One time I had to answer an emergency call in the hospital in the early morning hours and I scolded a nurse for moving sluggishly while attending to the patient. I failed to realize that the poor nurse had been answering one call after another since 10 p.m. the previous night. She apologized for my perceived sluggishness of her actions, but later I had to apologize to her for not considering that her lean body was already doing its best under the circumstances. The spirit was willing but the flesh needs to rest, too.

Health impact

An article in the November issue of H&L (Health & Lifestyle) written by Niña Elyca Rabadam stresses the health impact which sleep deprivation may have on shift workers. A handbook released by the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers Inc. defines shift work as work that is scheduled outside “normal” daylight hours (i.e., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). It includes both long-term night shifts and work schedules in which employees change or rotate shifts. This is usually the irregular work hours of hospital healthcare providers, call center agents, factory employees and workers in other industries that require continuous services and production, 24 hours per day, seven days a week.

The toll on the workers’ body can be quite significant. The undesirable consequences of shift work can include disruption of the internal body clock, sleeping difficulties, easy fatigability. All these affect the health and well-being of the worker in the long term.

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