On Reddit, shift workers share war stories: One university IT specialist recalled being terrified by a bunch of lifelike dummies sitting on gurneys in a nursing school classroom. A late-night prison guard wrote about the raccoons growling menacingly from the bushes. One restaurant worker recalled being frightened by the sounds coming into his headset at a drive-thru, only to find out it was a burger-hungry night owl. Clearly, shift work isn't for the faint of heart.
It may not be good for the heart, either. A study published in The Journal of Osteopathic Medicine found that 9% of shift workers develop metabolic syndrome, characterized by elevated blood pressure and blood sugar, excess body fat and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels, compared with 1.8% of the general population. That can cause heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
Shift work may also lead to sleep and mental disorders, infertility and increased risk of certain cancers. Why? It disrupts hormones regulating your circadian rhythm (body clock). Plus, working nonstandard hours may lead to unhealthy lifestyle choices. But you can ease the risks by doing these things:
- Keep the same sleep and wake times on days off.
- Eat minimally processed foods, whole grains and lean proteins.
- Limit your eating to eight hours out of 24. Eat 75% or more of your calories eight hours before you plan to go to bed, and the remaining 25% three hours before bedtime.
- Get 150 minutes of exercise weekly.
- Use a sunrise alarm clock that wakes you with progressive light, emulating a natural dawn.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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