Oregon Careers in Healthcare

Many careers require shifting schedules where employees are mandated to work at night. Sadly, working at night poses many health risks and without health care, your body might shut down on you. How to work the night shift and stay healthy? To ensure that your health won’t be compromised, you still need to have an adequate amount of sleep during day sleep. Find expert advice at https://besttreadmillsaustralia.com.au if you are having sleep troubles.

Tips To Stay Healthy During Night Shift

For your own benefit, consider these few tips in keeping your health in shape while you work night shifts.

• If possible, copy your day shift routine and incorporate it on your night shifts. This means that your snack time, meal times, coffee break, and other activities are done at the exact same time.
• Do not neglect your food intake, make sure to eat 3 heavy meals on a 24 hour period.
• Minimize your food intake between midnight and 6 am. Be sure to eat meals before and after you start your night shifts.
• Do not eat heavy meals 2 hours before your scheduled sleep. This might contribute to circadian rhythm problems.
• Eat your breakfast before you sleep so you won’t be bothered by hunger during sleep.
• Practice regular exercise and physical activities. It’s no secret that exercising and working out do wonderful things for our body. So despite your busy schedule, find time to stay active to keep your body healthy and fit.
• Keep your body’s Vitamin D levels in check. One of the many health risks that night shifts pose is the deficiency of Vitamin D, this is because you are barely exposed to the sun.
• Be sure to get an annual physical exam to check if your health is not declining.
• Stick to a routine. In order to avoid any circadian rhythm issues, follow a daily routine and stick to it. Eat, take a break, sleep, and wake up at a specific time to help your body adjust easily.
• Ask for support from your family or housemates. Let your family members know about your work schedule and why you’ll need some quiet time during the day while you rest. Moreover, find time to eat at least one meal with them every day to stay connected.
• Stay hydrated. Keeping yourself hydrated will boost your energy and alertness. While you are awake, be sure to drink plenty of water.
• Do not ignore your mental health. Night shift workers tend to have lesser time for social gatherings and leisure. This commonly results in mental health problems. To avoid this, use some of your time during your day-off for self-care practices, you may opt for meditation, yoga classes, shopping, watching a movie, or anything that keeps you connected to yourself.
• Eat healthily. One of the many things that you should not compromise is your food intake. However busy you may be, always opt for healthy foods and a balanced diet. Whole foods like eggs, nuts, vegetables, and lean protein are highly recommended for night shifters. On the other hand, avoid red meat at night as this food can affect your circadian rhythm.

Sleep time

• Make your room a sleep conducive space. Sleeping during the day can be quite tricky. Most people feel sleepy while working at night but surprisingly feel energetic and active after their shift, this is the reason why the circadian rhythm of the body gets affected. Some of the things that you can do include blocking the sunlight, playing slow music, preparing a comfortable bed, and using a dim light.
• Put your sleep schedule on top of everything else. Putting your sleep aside so you can have leisure time can destruct your routine. A healthy body needs complete sleep, while it’s fun to have a lunch date with your friends, your sleep should be your number 1 priority.
• Be mindful of your caffeine intake. Coffee is the usual drink that employees take to stay awake, active, and in the zone. But be sure to avoid it few hours before your scheduled sleep.
• Take a nap. Night shift employees should take advantage of their short breaks and use them to take naps. This helps in increasing the person’s attentiveness and reduces the chance of them making mistakes.

Health Risks For Night Shift Workers

As mentioned, working at night can put you at risk of many health problems. This is because your body is being forced to go against its nature. Human bodies are designed to be active during the day, at night, our body is supposed to be asleep so it can repair and restore itself. Not sleeping at night can lead to the following:

• Risk of breast cancer. While the evidence that supports this claim is limited, some researchers conclude that women who work during the night shift are more prone to breast cancer, regardless if it is a daily routine or once a week work schedule.
• Risk of a heart attack. The heart rhythms or also known as the premature ventricular complexes are highly affected if the person works night shifts. This puts them at risk of a heart attack.
• Depression. Because of the irregular lifestyle, night shift workers barely have the time to enjoy themselves with family and friends. This is the reason why most graveyard shift employees have a higher chance of getting depressed.
• Risk of obesity and diabetes. Due to the increased consumption of coffee and energy drinks, night shift workers become prone to obesity and diabetes.
• Risk of gastrointestinal problems. Working night shifts for a long time can cause gastrointestinal problems which typically starts with diarrhea and ulcer.
• Vitamin D deprivation. Not being exposed to sunlight is the main reason why some people are Vit. D deficient. Luckily, you can combat this by eating foods rich in Vit. D. Insufficient Vitamin D can lead to other risks such as colon cancer, heart disease, prostate cancer, and breast cancer.

Night shifts are not suitable for everyone. Some people may find it harder to adjust than others. if you experiencing major issues because of your work schedule, talk to your doctor right away.