Surviving and Thriving on the Night Shift

Working in healthcare is often not a 9 to 5 job. Depending on your position as a healthcare worker, you may find yourself working the night shift. 

Working nights, also called the graveyard shift, can have some perks. For example, working during the evening may allow you to be home during the day to handle family responsibilities. Additionally, you may find the hospital atmosphere quieter on the overnight shift, depending on where you work. 

However, working the night shift comes with certain challenges. You may need to be more intentional about your lifestyle choices to manage night shift work effectively.  But it is possible to feel healthy and thrive even if you're on the graveyard shift.

The article below covers the possible challenges of working nights and tips for combating them.

How Can Working the Night Shift Affect Your Health?

Working nights can affect an individual's physical and psychological health and well-being. Our bodies are meant to be awake during the day when the sun is out and asleep during the evening. You go against your body's natural circadian rhythm when you work night shifts. 

Your circadian rhythm, also called the biological clock, coincides with light from the sun and darkness in the evening. It affects your sleep, appetite, metabolism, and hormones. Repeated disruption of the circadian rhythm, which can occur during working nights, increases the risk of problems with various body functions.

A research review published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that night shift workers had an increased risk for serious health problems such as diabetes, stroke, heart attack, and certain types of cancer.

Possible problems associated with working the night shift include the following: 

Sleep disorders:  Normally, in the evening, our body increases melatonin production.  Melatonin is a hormone that helps make us sleepy. The opposite happens during the daytime. Exposure to light suppresses melatonin production. When we work overnight and try to sleep during the day, this can lead to challenges with sleep and potential sleep disorders.

Fatigue: Light from the sun stimulates the part of the retina that signals your brain to produce serotonin. Serotonin is a hormone that plays a role in mood and energy levels. If you sleep during the day and are not exposed to sunlight, your serotonin production could decrease, leading to fatigue.

Mood disorders: As mentioned above, serotonin plays a role in mood. If your serotonin levels are low, it's possible to develop mood disorders, including depression and anxiety.

Lifestyle effects: The majority of the world works during the day and sleeps during the evening. When you reverse this situation, you can miss out on activities, recreation, and time with your friends and family if you're trying to catch up on your sleep during the daytime.

Managing Working Night Shift Effectively 

With all the possible adverse effects of working overnight, it may seem like something to avoid at all costs. However, that may not be possible. Some healthcare services are provided 24 hours a day, and you may work overnight.

The good news is that by becoming aware of the possible effects and taking specific steps, you can decrease your risk of health problems and thrive on nights.

Weight Management and Working Nights

If you work overnight, you may be at an increased risk of weight gain for several reasons. For example, your metabolism is affected by your hormone levels. Certain hormones trigger your appetite or increase it if you are sleep-deprived. 

Plus, constant sweets, treats, and goodies in the breakroom do not exactly set you up for healthy eating. But there are several things you can do to promote a healthy weight.

Tips for Diet and Exercise

Taking a proactive approach and being intentional about maintaining regular exercise and a healthy diet can prevent weight gain on the night shift. Consider the following suggestions: 

Sneak in some exercise on your shift. You may not want to make loops around the parking lot at 2:00 a.m. to get your steps in. However, consider ways to get more movement during your shift, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, standing instead of sitting when charting, and taking brief stretch breaks when possible.

Bring meals from home. Hospital cafeteria food is not usually fine dining, but it can be convenient. Still, taking meals from home lets you control the ingredients and cooking methods and know what you're putting into your body.

 

Snack wisely. You're not alone if you reach for a sweet treat at 4:00 a.m. However, consider eating a high-protein snack instead of reaching for something high in sugar or carbohydrates. Good high-protein snack choices include: 

• Cottage cheese
• Greek yogurt
• Boiled eggs
• Nuts
• Edamame

Skip the sugary coffee drinks. If you're like many overnight healthcare workers, you're probably reaching for coffee in the middle of the night. Try to avoid sugary coffee drinks, which can have hundreds of calories. Instead, if you're looking for a little caffeine boost, try a shot of espresso or a cup of caffeinated tea. 

Schedule regular workouts when you're off. Regular exercise is vital to your overall well-being. It can help you maintain a healthy weight, strengthen your muscles and bones, and boost your mood. Jot down your workout sessions in your calendar like any other appointment. Find something you enjoy doing and enlist a workout buddy if needed. Remember, the key to success is consistency!

Sleep Tips for Surviving the Night Shift

When working the night shift, your sleep schedule is typically the opposite of what your body naturally expects. 

Taking specific steps to get quality sleep still when working nights is essential. Consider the following:

If possible, cluster your night shifts together. It's helpful to try to work your shifts in a row. This allows your body to stay on the same sleep schedule for part of the week and not always have to adapt. 

Try to get some sun exposure when you're off work. Sunlight helps increase your energy level and may promote better sleep at night. Try to get sun exposure on your days off, preferably first thing in the morning.

  

Create the right sleep environment. It can be challenging to sleep during the day, but creating the right environment may promote quality sleep. Most people sleep best in a cool, quiet, dark environment.

Consider the following suggestions: 

• Get blackout curtains to keep your room as dark as possible
• Use a white noise machine or wear earplugs
• Keep your room cool
• Turn off your cell phone at least an hour before going to sleep 
• Limit caffeine at least 4 hours before trying to fall asleep
• Avoid a heavy meal before going to bed

Take a nap. Napping sometimes gets a bad rap. However, a nap can help increase your energy level if you are sleep-deprived. A 20-minute nap before work can help you feel more alert and promote work safety during your shift. Try to avoid napping longer than 45 minutes. During a longer nap, you may move into the deeper phases of sleep, and waking up during this phase may make you feel groggy.

Working the night shift has its benefits but has specific challenges. However, a proactive approach to maintaining a healthy weight, quality sleep, and a well-balanced diet can do wonders for your overall well-being. The bottom line is that staying healthy and thriving on the night shift is possible.

MaryAnn DePietro CRT is a licensed respiratory therapist at a Northern California trauma center. She received a B.S. degree in Rehabilitation from Penn State University and a degree in respiratory therapy from American River College in Sacramento.

MaryAnn has 18 years of clinical experience as an RT in critical care, labor and delivery, and pulmonary rehabilitation specialties.

In addition, MaryAnn has experience as a medical writer for various newspapers, magazines, and health websites. She has written extensively about sleep disorders, asthma, and pulmonary fibrosis. 

Source:

Wu, Q. J., Sun, H., Wen, Z. Y., Zhang, M., Wang, H. Y., He, X. H., ... & Zhao, Y. H. (2022). Shift work and health outcomes: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of epidemiological studies. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 18(2), 653-662. https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/epdf/10.5664/jcsm.9642