Night Shift Dulls your brain

Nurses Stress 101

Published

According to a study, working "anti-social" shifts decreases brain function.

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-29879521

Their study, in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, suggested a decade of shifts aged the brain by more than six years.There was some recovery after people stopped working antisocial shifts, but it took five years to return to normal.

Experts say the findings could be important in dementia, as many patients have disrupted sleep.

The body's internal clock is designed for us to be active in the day and asleep at night.

The damaging effects on the body of working against the body clock, from breast cancer to obesity, are well known.

I'm disappointed to hear this. Now where in the world did I put my keys?

I love my night shifts, but I only work 3 of them per week. I work 2 with one off and then 1 with three off. It does take me a day to recover from the 2. My only complaint is that my sleep is very fragmented.

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

first couple of decades , my nursing career I loved nights

as I aged, my biologic clock not as flexible...............

i am very grateful for nurses that can work nocs

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Specializes in Inpatient Oncology/Public Health.

I just went to a neurologist for memory issues and headaches. My gp was quick to blame the night shifts though. Guess she was onto something...

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Specializes in Anesthesia, ICU, PCU.

I'm glad to see this post. Night shift definitely dulled my mental and social skills. Around 1900-2300 I'm functioning pretty much as I do regularly but by 0400-0500 (when it gets busy on my floor) my level of function is reduced to that of a reptile trying to find a smooth rock with lots of sunlight to lay on.

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.
My ideal shift is 11am-11pm; not sure if there are shifts out there like that anymore, but will beg for that job and hours if it comes along! :laugh:

My prior hospital had 11a-11p shifts. Most people hated it because of the day/night crossover and higher chance of floating. So if you're looking to move to NY, have at it! ?

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Specializes in Med-Surg, NICU.
I can't say that night shift dulls my brain; it was a struggle to get up in the morning for my day shift job, I do nights a few days a week and enjoyed being a night owl as a child as well.

My ideal shift is 11am-11pm; not sure if there are shifts out there like that anymore, but will beg for that job and hours if it comes along! :laugh:

My hospital has some people who work that shift. I actually wouldn't mind it. My ideal shift would be 3p-3a because 1) you get all night differential without recking your sleep cycle and 2) you don't have to get up before the crack of dawn. I also would love 11a-11p.

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Specializes in Emergency Department; Neonatal ICU.

My ideal shift is 11am-11pm; not sure if there are shifts out there like that anymore, but will beg for that job and hours if it comes along! :laugh:

Not sure where you work but there are plenty of those shifts in the ED. I work noon-midnight and I'm fine with that but I only work two days per week. I couldn't stretch it to overnight though.

I think people who work night shift and thrive are superheroes :cool:

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Specializes in ICU.

I had to work 12-hr nights shifts the entire time my kids were small, thru their teen years. It was torture, simply because I had kids at home that really needed their mother to be up and about, not dead in the bed during the day. Now I am older, live alone, and work any shift I want to. Night shift is much, much easier if you only have yourself to worry about. I look back now, and wonder how I did it. I must have never slept. (Been There Done That posted a comment somewhere, wishing she could have stayed home with her children. I didn't have that option, either, but I wish mothers did not have to work!)

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Specializes in Pediatrics, Emergency, Trauma.
Not sure where you work but there are plenty of those shifts in the ED. I work noon-midnight and I'm fine with that but I only work two days per week. I couldn't stretch it to overnight though.

I think people who work night shift and thrive are superheroes :cool:

Yes, a destination I hope to go to someday...the ER. ;)

Being a night shifter and being a superhero? didn't know I was that close to being Wonder Woman, hehe. :laugh:

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Specializes in Telemetry, IMCU.

Try night shift PDN. You're all alone except for the sleeping patient. By 3am I'm counting down to 6am when I can end my shift, race home, and drop dead asleep in my room with blackout curtains, rain, fan, and blankets. I'm better at night shift. Waking up in the morning for clinical rotations is killer. I actually get nauseous until 12pm, then I'm alright. Does this happen to anyone?

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