long term night shift work versus health

Specialties Geriatric

Published

Anyone out there have any medical info on this subject ?? thanks

I was putting darling hubbie through school. Yet, he has a cogential nerve problem in his spine and we realized that withe the meds he is on he will not be employable in medical field. He withdraw from school with all a's and at the top of each class. He is now stock trading and being Mr. Mom to our 8 and15yr old. He takes them to school, does the picking up and the homework. I usually get home in time enough to kiss them goodbye. He has done all the christmas shopping andis enjoying spending time with me and the kids. He does all the housework---except cooking bbbig dinners. He does the grocery shopping and will heat up a ton of stouffers every night. I love it. He is not in as musch pain, he is able to contribbbbbbute; he is abbbbbbbbbbbbbble to be there with the kids---who at 15yrs old(boy) and 8 yrs (girl) they need him. It works well with my nights. He likes night better than days for me. He often calls me before he goes to bbbbbbbbbbbbbed at 12-1 am.

well write me back.

gotta go child up with bad dream---it is saturday and i am off.

with love and prayers,

tina

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Specializes in LTC.

i have always been a night owl so the night shift is for me.....and with the stress of nursing i would not have a job if it were not for nights.....durning day shift there are too many chiefs and not enough indians.....

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Get this. I've worked nights for 6 years now. Suddenly all shifts now have to rotate. I will be doing a week of 6am-2:30. I swore I'd never work day shift again. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr! I am so angry over this I could just . . . .!

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Specializes in Obstetrics, M/S, Psych.
Originally posted by night owl

Get this. I've worked nights for 6 years now. Suddenly all shifts now have to rotate. I will be doing a week of 6am-2:30. I swore I'd never work day shift again. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr! I am so angry over this I could just . . . .!

Quit? I think I would have to. That's pure bull!:(

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Originally posted by JetLPN

Anyone out there have any medical info on this subject ?? thanks

There has been a bit of research done on this. There are correlations with night shift work and colorectal issues (eg. CA). Note, though, that correlations NEVER infer causation. The studies seem to say it has something to do with not getting enough exposure to sunlight and some link a lack of melanin with that problem.

I work nights and I feel I am usually able to get adequate sleep. The key thing about nights is that you should NOT change your habits on your days off. Yeah right!!! I am usually able to adhere to this, but like the past couple weeks I had my mom visit me and I went out of town for my gf's pinning ceremony, so it's not like that is an option. It certainly isn't for nurses with youngins.

IMO, it's a double edged sword. Of course on the one hand you have the health problems associated with working nights; but there are equally as unhealthy issues associated with working days in the nursing field. First and foremost would be the stress. Stress kills. And on the average, nights are far less stressful than days. I have a family with a history of cardiac troubles, so I see cardiac being a little more significant than GI. Also, I find that I am very sleep deprived when I work days. I just haven't been able to go to bed by a decent time (usually from jacking around on this frickin computer), so I end up getting like 3-4 hrs sleep, which is obviously harmful for your physical and mental health (including the health of your license to function in a high stress situation while sleep deprived). This usually isn't an issue when I work nights.

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The last documentation that I came across stated that as long as you stayed on the same shift there shouldn't be any problem, which means sticking to the same hours even on your days off, BUT if you work a job where you are rotating back and forth between days and nights every week, you are actually taking

about 10 years off. Over here in Thailand, the nurses actually work all three shifts in one week. You work nights x 2, then are back 8 hours later for afternoons x 2, then possibly get a day or two off, then day shift. I could never do it, nor would I ever want to.

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Specializes in Emergency.

I thought as a new grad that working nights would be good cuz i'm a night person anyways........ but 3-4 am in the ER was NOT me.

I've since changed my hours as a new grad and have yet to see how they work out...

i know that i was......... out of whack........... for days upon days

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Specializes in NICU.

I've worked nights for 5 years and love it. I do think that the key is to basically stick to the same kind of schedule on your off days. That's what I do to a point. Go to bed really late (like 4am) and wake up around noon or so. You still get PLENTY of daylight. Unfortunately this only really works if you don't have a spouse or small kids! But otherwise, if you're a night owl naturally, nights is probably healthier for you! I know when I had to work days it was so stressful on my body and I had horrible insomnia and anxiety problems. On nights I am so happy, and that can't be a bad thing for my health!

I think the dangers are more significant for those night workers who can't or won't sleep enough during the day. Many of my coworkers are up all day long, from 7am on with their kids, and then work all night, and don't even have a few hours to nap when they get home in the morning as their kids need them. That is extremely dangerous, of course! But for someone who goes home and gets a lot of sleep, what is the problem?!?!

The studies say a lot about Melatonin production and how decreased levels are linked to certain cancers. They say that the only way to produce an adequate amount of it is to sleep at night. Well I think that is bull! If someone gets a good, deep sleep during the day, using good window shades or a mask to mimic darkness - then I don't understand why it can't be produced! If your natural body rhythm is reversed from "normal" people then just go with it.

I did read recently that if you get a pink tinge put on your eyeglasses, it increases melatonin production by quite a bit. To be on the safe side, I plan on getting a very light tinge put on my next pair of glasses. Couldn't hurt.

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I am a night shift worker. I worked the 11-7 shift for 18 years, then the 7pm-7am shift for 6 years. With a job change, I worked 3-11 in there for a couple years while waiting to get back on the 7p-7a shift.

I am thinking what someone else here said. Which is worse for you ~ your body clock being messed up by the hours, or the stress of working during the daytime?

During the time I worked 3-11, I enjoyed sleeping at night, but I don't miss the stress of dealing with impossible family members and all the craziness of the daytime.

I feel happier on the 7pm-7am shift. I am having some trouble now sleeping at night on my nights off, but I have sort of given up worrying about that and just kind of sleep when I can and am awake when I can't. (Kids are grown and gone ~ just me and hubby and the cat ~ so mostly it works out ok.)

Gayle

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I just went to 12 hour days from 8 hour nights..........the shifts go fast but yes you do spend more time witht he family......I hear there is a 12 hour night shift that will be available in Feb and I can't wit to apply........

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"I love nightshift but it hates me." There are so many things I like about nights but it tears me up. When I was a kid I thrived on it. However, somewhere in my forties I suddenly realized I couldn't hack it anymore. I find I can handle an occasional shift without too much difficulty. We have a full time night shfit crew but occasionally there is a slot they can't cover so I come in to cover it.(by the way I love these people) Always enjoy it, always makes me realize I couldn't do it all the time.

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i saw this thread and just had to comment. i totally agree with all of you; some people are great with night shifts and others just can't handle it!

personally i am a night person through and through. in high school i was a night person (diagnosed "chronic sleep deprivation" because no matter how hard i tried, i couldn't fall asleep before 4am, then had to wake up at 7am for school!) in college i did what way too many of us did and stayed up late, slept 3 hours, went to classes, slept 1 hour, went to another class, slept 2 more hours, then went out with my friends and did homework late into the night. :p

well now i'm taking my nursing pre-reqs while working at a hotel, and i just realized how wonderful night shifts are for me!!! i have always known i'm a night person, but a few weeks ago i worked my first night shift at the hotel and i am in heaven. everything seems so much easier than daytime too! i love the fact that i don't have to see my manager for more than 1 hour at a time, because i get to go home! and now i have a legitimate excuse to family and friends for sleeping all day :D i definately am going to beg for night shifts when i finally become a nurse. i know i will love it, and my health is so much better when i get to sleep when i'm tired and stay up when i'm not. go night nurses!!!!!!!!!!

:cool:

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