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Night shift takes a heavy toll on health
News story by DISHA TOMAR
With growing multi-national companies, call centers and BPO the demand for employees for working at ‘graveyard shifts’ has increased. Working at night can dramatically affect the health of an individual making them more prone to heart diseases, depression and other stressful unhealthy conditions.
Night shifts are often associated with sleepless nights leading to altered lifestyle disturbing the ‘circadian clock/rhythm’ which decides the sleeping patterns in humans. Sangita working a member of ground staff in Air India, says, “I have been taking night shifts for last two years. It has affected my diet, sleep and health. I feel weak and lazy, developed dark circles and acne on my face. I even took a medical break to revive my system.”
Dr Om Prakash, psychiatrist at IHBAS, says “Sleeping less leads to stressful life. Sleep is vital to maintain proper circadian rhythm. Sleep deprivation raises the risk of cardiovascular problems, fatigueness and MDD (Major Depressive Disorder).”
The brain needs sleep at night and work during the day. In the evening when the light vanishes brain signals the secretion of a hormone ‘melatonin’ into the body fluids. Melatonin concentration determines sleeping pattern. Increased melatonin at night increases drowsiness making us fall asleep. The whole process reverses during the day as with the rising sun eyes senses the light and the melatonin level falls with increased level of another chemical serotonin that keeps us awake during the day. This constitutes circadian rhythm. Other body functions including heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and gastrointestinal activity also keep fluctuating 24 hours according to the circadian clock.
Night shifts disturb the rhythm of circadian clock resulting into Shift Work Sleep Disorder (SWSD). SWSD resulting from disturbed sleep pattern is associated with insomnia and excessive sleepiness.
The most common symptoms include headaches, mood swings, short temper, bad hair/skin/nails, energy deficiency, diminished appetite, low immune response and weak memory. Increased accidents, reduced performance, work related errors and aggressiveness.
Night workers not only experience physical disabilities but also face social problems.
“Sleep is one issue that gives birth to other issues includes marital and social problems. As the world wakes they go to sleep, this makes it difficult for them to see friends, family and children posing strain on relationships. Their schedule isolates them from social life and they fail to fulfill their family’s expectations,” said Dr Prakash.
More than 50 per cent private companies run 24 hours a day to achieve high profile in the market. Employees have to take night shifts. Doctors, nurses, truck drivers, police and other private sector workers are often subjected to such lifestyle.
Anil is working with IBM, Gurgaon. He says, “I am new to this and as such don’t have any health complications. Yes, the diet has been affected as lunch is shuffled with breakfast, lot of junk food at work and dinner has no fix time. I sleep at morning hours and face frequent sleep disturbances”
A recent study conducted on over two million people suggests that night shift workers are at a 24 per cent higher risk of heart attacks and coronary events. The study was published in British Medical Journal. Moreover, individuals doing night shifts develop unhealthy behaviour such as improper diet, sleeping less and finding it hard to exercise.
