Shift work need not bring disruption

Following some guidelines can help diminish the negative effects

Although shift work in today’s society is often something people “have to do,” they can hold to a minimum the stress that results from performing on a time schedule that differs from the body’s internal clock.

Research has shown that an individual’s internal clock readjusts from a normal cycle to a night cycle after the fourth night of work.

If shifts change in less than four days, that clock does not reset and the body doesn’t have to learn to readjust.

Some psychological evidence also suggests that three nights of work is better than sever nights because it disrupts a family less.

Admittedly, these rules vary and individual exceptions occur. For some, a night shift simply is not feasible.

I recently was told of one couple’s solution to the problem of shift work. Both members of this couple, who had no children, worked almost the same shift for most of the month. This meant less disturbance to their life outside of work than if they had worked different shifts.

My experience with people who do shift work out of economic necessity has led me to several fundamental rules that can diminish the negative effects of shift work:

Try to maintain good health habits on all shifts.
Eat balanced meals.
Maintain a regular exercise program.
Try to get the same number of hours of sleep you would normally achieve during a regular, eight-hour daytime shift.
Don’t risk the serious problems of drugs or alcohol in trying to induce sleep.
Try to work for an organization that rewards length of employment by moving toward regular, eight-hour, day shifts.

If your family knows there is “light at the end of the tunnel” and that you are working toward a goal, enduring the night work years may be easier.

Keep your life as normal as possible. Indulge in sports, hobbies and recreation that you have previously enjoyed.
Spend as much time with friends as possible to maintain these relationships.
Keep in mind that some people are so-called night people.

It would be great if we could all work when our mental and physical abilities were at their peak. Some people enjoy sleeping until noon and staying up beyond Johnny Carson and David Letterman.

Try to reap the benefits of each time frame.

When off-duty, spend as much time as possible with family. With a little give and take from all members, shift work can work. Making the best of a less than desirable work situation is possible with determination and planning.
Be philosophical about the economics of the matter.

As one individual recently said, “Shift work beats no work at all.”

Copyright 1991 c Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D.