Understanding the difference shift work makes to the way the body functions can help adjust to a different pattern of life.

Why is shift work different from day work?

 The basic problem with shift work is having to work at times the body is designed to be resting. People are day oriented. This means all our body functions are geared to be active in the daytime and to sleep at night.

Body functions vary through a 24-hour cycle. This variation is called the ‘Circadian Rhythm’ (body clock). We depend on external cues such as light and dark, and the timing of meals for the body clock to work normally. Two important functions of the body clock are daily changes in temperature and production of digestive juices.

 Body Temperature cycle

Body temperature rises during daytime ready for increased activity. At night body temperature falls, which helps us slow down and feel sleepy.

 Digestion Cycle

Digestive juices are produced before the usual daily meal times. The activity of the digestive system is reduced at night.

After 2 or 3 nightshifts, the body starts to adjust, but the body clock goes back to normal after 1 to 2 days off. The body clock never changes permanently to a different sleep/wake cycle, even in permanent night workers.

In some people, different body functions adjust at different rates, and this can become a problem if working too many consecutive nightshifts.

 Work performance

On nightshift, workers will be working when their body does not function as well as it does in the daytime. However, the employer depends on work being done equally well at night as it is in the daytime.

Fatigue and sleepiness on the job are the major problems. Some jobs may also have a safety element that requires mental alertness. Injuries happen more frequently when people are fatigued.

It is important for health, alertness and work performance to take rest breaks when due, they should never be traded off for overtime. Workers who work long hours without a break can become ‘dangerously drowsy’.

 When the work undertaken is inactive or desk bound the following hints may help:

-       don’t dim the lights;

-       talk to others on the same shift regularly. It may help to keep all workers more alert;

standing up, doing stretches and back arches or walking around for a minute of two can provide relief from stiffness and fatigue, caused by sitting in the same position for extended periods;

-       splashing face and hands with water, can also assist when feeling tired.

 Life at home

Just as the body follows a rhythm, so does the social and family life. Once again the shift worker is out of step. When they are awake everyone else is sleeping; when they are at work everyone else has free time. Children may only see their shift working parent for short periods.

There may be weekends when all the family is not together because of shift work. To help reduce difficulties with domestic and social arrangements:

talk with family members ahead of time about problems which result from shift work and look for solutions;

-       buy a large monthly planner. Fill in the roster and sleeping schedules. This makes it easier to organise activities together;

-       adjust to the household routine where possible. Give the opportunity for children or partner to make suggestions about how to fit in to their activities;

-       take preschool children to a play group on the mornings before sleeping, or arrange with friends with small children to swap child minding duties on sleeping days;

-       take over some household duties on days off. One of the advantages of shift work is being home during the day;

-       during school holidays, plan days out with the family.

 Social life

Normal social interaction with family and friends is so important people may cut down on their sleep time so they can take part in customary social activities. This can affect work performance.

Plan to make the most of the time off. Let friends know the ‘free’ time;

see if there are others on shift work who will join in with daytime sport or other activity.

 Hints for health and fitness

Good health and physical fitness will assist shift workers to cope with the changes in lifestyle and working patterns.

Make sure that a healthy eating pattern is maintained. Availability of good food is crucial to assist workers to cope successfully with shift work. Take the time at home to prepare food packs and fruit to eat at work during breaks. This will help those who overdose on chocolate bars and soft drinks, just because it was the only food around at the time.

 Make an effort to increase physical activity during leisure time. Physical exercise can improve a person’s ability to survive shift work. Join a gym, take a walk, go for a swim or go bike riding, on days off;

Cut down on smoking, or preferably give it up altogether;

 Hints for sleeping

To avoid a build-up of fatigue shift workers must get as close to an average amount of sleep as possible.

Make sure ahead of time that conditions for day-sleep are as favourable as possible, for example curtains with block-out backing or blinds will reduce the light level, sleeping in cool conditions helps in getting to and staying asleep.  Heavy curtains and sound insulation on the doors and windows may reduce noise levels. Earplugs may help!

Let close neighbours know the shift worker’s sleep schedules, in the daytime so they can avoid mowing or noisy car repairs.

Some shift workers prefer to go straight to bed while others find it better to read or watch television first; take a shower or a soak in a hot bath before going to bed; and don’t eat or drink too much prior to sleeping and avoid drinking coffee in the last few hours prior to sleeping.

We’d love to hear some of your comments….are you a shift worker?  It would be great to hear some experiences!

Firstly, let’s look at sleep requirements. Studies show that the average adult needs around seven  hours of sleep every night. It is during this time that your body and mind recovers from stress (to a degree) and body demands – through heavy workloads or from holding the body in one position for any length of time.

If you sleep erractically – say, a couple of hours each night, then you are putting your health at risk – not only due to ‘accidents’ at work but also as your immune system lowers its ability to fight off illness.

Performing efficiently and safely at work requires an alert mind and rested body. So many safety incidents (work and non-work related) are directly attributed to fatigue. Working around the clock may be a way to ‘get the work done and bring the dollars in’ as the body can still perform through fatigue – but at what cost in productivity and worker’s health and morale?

Like the athlete who overtrains – they add just that one extra hour to their routine, and skim that one little hour of rest from their recovery schedule… and only have an inkling that they have overdone it by feeling a little sorer and a little tireder. Next thing the athlete finds themselves irritable, and in some cases crying for no reason, and eventually they suffer an injury. That ‘little bit extra’ has now led to downtime in their training schedule as they now need to recover from the injury.

Similarly, the worker adding that extra worktime to their schedule without appropriate recovery time (in the form of ‘real’ breaks and sleep) will find themselves irritable, cutting corners in regards to safety precautions because they simply don’t have the energy, and possibly creating injury (pulling a muscle, hurting their backs, etc.)

Conclusion – sleep and rest breaks are critical to our health and well-being.
 
Here are some ways to overcome fatigue in the workplace:

• Avoid caffeine and nicotine. While nicotine and caffeine are stimulants, after the stimulus wears off – you often feel more fatigued than before. 
• Exercise aerobically – a brisk walk (not a run because this can be anerobic) to get oxygen pumping through your system. 
• Take a shower (not a hot one as this can make your drowsy).
• Splash your face and neck with cold water.
• Eat regular healthy meals. Don’t make the mistake of going for a ‘sugar boost’ by consuming lollies or sweets. Again, like the caffeine and nicotine, as soon as the stimulus wears off you’ll feel worse. Fruit (not juices) are a good alternative to sweets. Juices tend to flood the body with sugar again, whereas the fruit takes time to digest, feeding you energy over a longer period and at a more ‘usable quantity’. Eat a balanced diet. Choose whole-grain breads, cereals and pastas over the more processed products – again allowing for digestion to feed you energy over a longer period rather than simply a short term boost.
• Drink! Drink! And drink some more! Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day. 
• Make work procedures so efficient that energy is saved. eg. instead of bending down to pick up tools that are used for a job, or needing to reach up high to retrive them, have them attached to a wall within easy reach, or on a bench top, saving energy. Sit while you work instead of standing. 
• Be smart with work activity set up. If possible complete more challenging activities when you feel fresher, and easier and less potentially dangerous tasks as your energy levels begin to lag. Obviously the better solution would be to have a break – but unfortunately, that’s not always possible in some work environments. 
• Incorporate breaks throughout your shift. It always fascinates me that people, in particular teachers, go on ‘break’ but don’t actually get a break! They scoff down a hasty lunch as they deal with students during morning tea and lunch time. Everyone needs a break, and it will be a good thing for teachers (and their students!) if teachers do get some time to themselves to wind down. 
• Ensure the work area is well ventilated. Your body needs oxygen to energize, and stale air doesn’t supply you with what you need.
• Ensure the work area is well lit. Light sends a signal to the body that it is time to be awake and alert, not time to be drowsy.
• Work at a steady pace. Crazy and ballistic not only burns energy – it also creates the potential for injury and accidents. 
• As an employer or Health and Safety Officer, create fixed shifts (if possible) rather than rotating shifts. Shift rotations put pressure on the body and mind to adjust, whereas fixed shifts allow some semblence of routine to develop.
• If you are working around the clock with breaks incorporated, nap. There are benefits to napping. In the past napping has been viewed as something that only ‘old people’ do, as came about the names ‘Nanna Nap’ and ‘Granny Downtime’. But nappying is a great way to allow the body and mind to recover. A team of researchers discovered that a 45-minute nap improved alertness for six hours after the nap. It has also been found that a nap pre-activity (such as shiftwork) of one to two hours helps people to function better. And that even a 20 minute nap can make a big difference.
• Establish a ‘rest area’ for workers to have some time out. The area should be clean, have dim lighting, no possible interruptions (phone calls, people traffic passing by, or PA announcements), a relaxing environment (no ‘up beat’ music, no paperwork clutter, or chatting workers), comfortable seating and beds, no clock (people often stress over how long they have to rest. Waking and constantly peering at the clock is not going to assist recovery), and have a comfortable room temperature. 
   
  If during your designated rest time, and even though you are incredibly tired, you have trouble falling asleep, try these exercises:

  * mentally and physically go through each muscle of your body (starting from the top of your head right through to the tips of your toes – although you’ll more than likely be asleep before you get there!) and consciously relax each.

  * think of a truly relaxing scene – maybe falling asleep on a verandah with cool breezes caressing your skin, or lying in the shade on a secluded beach and listening to the calls of seagulls and the rhythmic ocean waves.

  * If your time out allows you to be home, ask your spouse how their day was – this might possibly send you to sleep… I know it always works for me!