I worked, for seven days, 12 hours shifts. The factory employed what they termed “Continental Shifts”. In actuality, it was hell. (Working there inspired a short story on my part. If anybody PMs me, I’ll email it to them). The shifts were either 7 AM - 7 PM or 7 PM - 7 AM. They rotated, so you’d work daytime for several shifts, then go to nights. The people there were predictably dull.
I can readily agree with anyone who agrues that “odd” work hours are detrimental to a person’s health. However, I’ll also agree with anyone who says that any regular working hours are detrimental to a person’s health.
The night shift worker averages 5 1/2 hours sleep a night. That could be the reason. I worked it for several years and formed the habit and still sleep 5 to 6. Some people require a lot of sleep.
I worked every conceivable shift for many years, and often very long hours (100+ hours/week). I can attribute most of my health issues to those years.
I’m now self-employed and work my own hours, at home. If I’m working half the night, it’s only because my body isn’t ready to sleep yet. I’m much better off now, but can’t totally undo the damage from the past.
I’ve been trying to become a day person for my entire life, and it’s never worked.
I get my best sleep while the sun is out - I don’t sleep well at night at all. I feel better after an hours’ nap at noon than I do after eight hours at night.
I think some people just sleep better at night. I’m willing to bet that if you intersperse night hours with suitable daytime activity (go to the park on the days off, etc.) and eat healthy and exercise (I live in a 24 hour state, so there’s always a gym open) you’ll probably be the exception to the statistic.
Just anecdotal evidence, but I know that a lot of third-shift jobs don’t pay super well, and those that do are really stressful - or those that work them are also working another job. I’m willing to bet that the reason third shifters are generally unhealthy is because they can’t afford to live healthily or because they’re too stressed to do so. It’s not the hours that are the problem.
Just my two cents. I could be way off base. I loved working third shift.
Working night shifts is only detrimental to your health if you are not actually a night person.
As a true night person, I have talked to many people about this. I have never met (in person) another night person although I have met many night shifters.
When I work nights, I feel wonderful. I am able to function happily on only 4-5 hours sleep. I have tons of energy. I am actually repulsed by junk food. I crave things like fresh fruit, water, white meat and fish. I crave exercise. I have no trouble dropping weight and once I drop it I can maintain 140lbs pretty easily.
I left my last night job (about 6 years ago) because the factory would often reach 110° and I do not handle heat well. I am prone to heat exhaustion. I also decided that working nights while my boyfriend worked days was killing our relationship. Since his career options were kind of limited and mine weren’t, I decided to leave the night shift and suffer.
That decision had all kinds of bad side effects. First of all, it didn’t save my relationship - it just prolonged it. Second, my health got steadily worse over the last 6 years.
Since I left that job, I have been diagnosed with severe reflux (this I’ve actually had my whole life but it got worse), severe insomnia (also a life long problem but it got the point of sleep deprivation), RLS (a new development), chronic joint pain - specifically knee and hip, PseudoTumor Cerebri and Depression. I have also had back surgery since then and I can’t get my weight back below 180 even with exercise and watching what I eat.
My doctor recently told me that he thinks the chronic joint pain, depression, RLS, and weight problems, all stem from the insomnia.
The only times in my life that I didn’t have insomnia were when I worked overnights.
I can’t usually sleep until after the sun comes up. I got lightblocker shades and natural light bulbs (at different times) as feeble attempts to trick my body. It never works. If I fall asleep in the daytime I sleep soundly, have pleasant dreams and wake refreshed even with less than 6 hours. If I fall asleep at night, I have nightmares and wake up frequently. I have uncontrollable urges to get out of bed and pace my house. This is assuming I even fall asleep in the first place. I do not like sunlight and when I work days I only actually feel decent when the sky is overcast - stormy is preferable. Sunlight hurts my eyes and gives me headaches. If I stand in direct sunlight (even on a cold day) I get woozy quickly and have to search out shade. I also crave junkfood because it’s sometimes the only thing that keeps me awake.
I am moving to a new state next week. I am starting over with a new job and my boyfriend and I finally decided to call it quits. I will be interviewing for a job at the factory my sister works for. I hope I get it. They need people for the 11pm-7:30am shift.
All you night people keep your fingers crossed for me!
Its not the fact of working nights, or whatever combination, its the changing of working periods, if you work nights permanently, the is little detrimental effect.
Shift changes also lead to poorer work performance, more accidents too.
Other issues that may arise from shift working include effects on personal relationships, and the stress that this causes also leads to more health problems.
