Working night and long hour shifts might not sound so bad, but they can have an effect on your circadian rhythm and it may not be nice. Well, putting it simply, it can cause a disorder known as shift work sleep disorder and you will be visiting a sleep clinic Silver Spring for remedy. Here is everything you need to know about it.
What Is Shift Work Sleep Disorder?
Shift work sleep disorder is a sleeping disorder that is mainly caused by working long hours of night shifts or in different time zones.
It can cause a lot of issues like lack of sleep, loss of focus, insomnia, and sometimes excessive sleep issues. You might even snooze off during the day and you will always be tired.
This is a disorder that is common among people who work late into the night. This is also common among doctors, nurses, people who work in logistics, and other things. This is really bad for the body because you’re not getting enough sleep at night and you’re actually working, so it will make you even more tired and fatigued.
Shift work sleep disorder is a very unpleasant disorder and it can cause your circadian rhythm to spiral, literally. For a good night’s rest, you need to get at least 8 to 9 hours of sleep, but if you are working long night shifts and aren’t getting any sleep during the night, then it will turn into something that you experience repeatedly.
Causes Of Shift Work Sleep Disorder
The cause of shift work sleep disorder is already known and it’s working odd hours into the night. Either you’re working very late shifts into the night or you’re getting up super early in the morning to get to work. People who work in different time zones or travel a lot are also on the radar of this disorder.
Basically, not sleeping at night and constantly keeping your mind awake is going to mess with the circadian rhythm or your body’s biological clock. Your circadian rhythm is responsible for telling you when it’s time to sleep and when you have to wake up.
This can get altered when you’re not sleeping at a set time every single night. Your brain is an organ of habit. It needs a certain time to recuperate and energize so you can’t expect yourself to work into the night and still feel fresh and energized the next day.
So, shift work sleep disorder also really messes with your internal biological clock and it can make you lose all sense of sleep or waking up and basically, your routine will become very erratic.
Not sleeping properly will also affect your hormones and it can cause a lot of issues in your mood and overall well-being. You will be very moody, and irritable and you will also be tired, rightfully so.
This is why it’s recommended that you train your body to hold onto your routine and sometimes, you have to do these certain shifts, in which case you will need to give your body and brain a break by changing the time of sleep. This will make a world of difference in how you feel after the fact.
So, the cause of shift work sleep disorder is mainly you throwing your routine off, because of work timings.
Symptoms Of Shift Work Sleep Disorder
Now that you know what shift work sleep disorder is, here are some very common symptoms that you might experience.
Sleepy At The Daytime
You will feel very sleepy throughout the day. You know what they say: There’s nothing like a good night’s rest. Well, if you can’t sleep during the night because of work, then you will be very groggy.
Foggy Mind
If this continues for months on end, then that is very bad, because your mind will turn foggy and you will start to forget things.
Disorientation
You will also feel very disoriented and you might even lose focus or concentration. No matter how hard you try to focus your attention on things, you will lose track of it all.
Irritation
You will be very irritable and even the slightest things will set you off. That is basically hormonal imbalance which is a common symptom to occur when you’re not sleeping at night at all.
Insomnia
Sometimes, your brain and circadian rhythm are so conditioned to be awake and alert that you might experience insomnia. This is something that is really bad for you and you won’t be able to fall asleep, which is just very uncomfortable and frustrating.
Tiredness
You will also feel very tired and fatigued. You will feel as though there is no energy left in your limbs or body and you will be very lethargic to do anything.
Loss Of Appetite
You might also experience loss of appetite and your stomach will be very upset.
Dizziness
Dizziness is also something you might feel, especially if you’re sitting and working at a desk all night long and haven’t had a wink of sleep. This can cause you to lose your balance, which can lead to other freak accidents. So, whenever you want to get up, don’t do it abruptly.
Diagnosis And Treatments For Shift Work Sleep Disorder
Shift work sleep disorder is a very frustrating thing to deal with, so before you go forward with the treatment, here is how sleep doctors Frederick diagnose it:
Diagnosis
Mainly a sleep study will be done on you to pinpoint exactly what is going on. You will need to stay in a hospital overnight and you will get your tests done there. You will sleep and the doctors will monitor your brain and limb activity with sensors. After the study, the results will come in and you can go from there.
Also, a physical examination as well as a sleep log will help the doctor understand the patterns of the shift work sleep disorder. There might be something that you’re doing that is causing you to feel all of these symptoms.
Treatments
As for treatment, here are some things you can try, with a doctor’s opinion and prescription.
- Try to change your shifts from night to day, or if you have days off in between, make sure that you’re sleeping well during that time.
- If you can, try to take 2-day breaks between each ungodly shift hours because it will help get your internal clock back on track.
- If you’re going to work late into the night, make sure that you’re not relying on caffeine to keep you awake. This will only stimulate your awake brain even more and you don’t want to deal with that.
- If you can, try to squeeze in some nap time in between your work. This will make sure that you’re well-rested and ready to tackle work with somewhat of a fresh mind.
- When you do sleep, make sure that your room is dark, nice, and cozy, with no sound and a comfortable bed for you to snooze in.
Conclusion
Having a consistent sleep schedule is very important. You don’t want to compromise your sleep in any way, so you must know what shift work sleep disorder is and how to deal with it. Th right way is to see a sleep specialist Bethesda.
