Opinions about night shift and personal health

brwneyegal · Sep 17, 2007

I personally am a diabetic and have a hard time with that. I think because I eat at night when I am working. Then when I am off my body expects to eat late at night also. It may be in my head but I am having a hard time with that right now.

Personally I love working nights, but may be looking for a day job soon to try to get my blood sugars in order. I do not know maybe I am just getting old!

nightmare, RN · Sep 17, 2007

I've worked night shift for 17 years and love it but there is no doubt that it does not suit everyone. Amongst other things you can suffer depression,gastric troubles,sleep pattern disturbances and it can ,apparently take years off you! (I once worked out that my chances of living to a ripe old age due to smoking,obesity and night shift meant that I really shouldn't be here any more! :lol2: )

Of the RN's on nights at the moment 2 of us are diabetic and the third suffers from high blood pressure!

Djuna · Sep 17, 2007

A recently published study in Sweden has refuted the claims that night shift workers have a higher incidence of cancer.

http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/news/newsarchive/2007/august/18256990

FUNNYGIRLRN · Sep 17, 2007

I worked night shift for approx 7 months as a new grad before moving to another job. While I was on night shift I suffered from terrible anxiety, depression, high blood pressure, and sleep disturbances including insomnia at times and sleeping for days sometimes. Since changing jobs and going to day shift my blood pressure is now normal, I sleep approx 7 hours every night and feel rested, and my anxiety and depression are under control.

Tweety, BSN, RN · Sep 17, 2007

I did a research paper many years ago and it reavealed night shift workers have higher incidences of just about every illness, GI, cardiac, depression, more absenteeism etc. That's was a long time ago I did that paper. Rotating shifters from days to nights faired the next worse.

It's very hard on the body forcing it to do what it shouldn't be doing. There of course are many people whose bodies fit right into it very well. I worked nights for 14 years and the fatigue finally got to me. What finally did me in was switching to 12 hour shifts only three days week. I didn't get a good sleep pattern in like when I was working 8 hour nights, and did a lot of flipflopping and napping. I didn't know if it was day or night on my days off sometimes.

chenoaspirit, ASN, RN · Sep 17, 2007

I have been working night shift for 2 1/2 years and I can honestly say it has destroyed my health in almost every way. And I dont feel like exercising anymore. I usually dont even know what day of the week it is. Sometimes on my days off, I will wake up in the evening when the sun is half up/half down and I cant figure out if its morning or night. My GI is so upset, it has quit working literally. I am having surgery next month. My nerves cant take much anymore, I just never feel good anymore. I hate it. I work 12 hour shifts. If I worked 8, I think I could handle it much better....more time to sleep each day. When I was younger, I could do it easier. Some people are cut out for it, some arent. Im not. But even if you are, it still isnt healthy. It messes up your circadium rhythm (did I spell that right?). I worked last night from 6:45 until 7:30 this morning. Its now 11:30 and I cant sleep.

Ariesbsn · Sep 17, 2007

I think it depends on a person's circadian rhythm. I have been a "night person" since I was an infant (according to my mother). My brain doesn't engage until noon and I perk up at 2200. I also sleep better during the day. I am diabetic and don't have a problem controlling my blood sugar on nights, as long as I watch what I eat.

Day shift is a completely different story. It doesn't matter if I do 8 hour shifts or 12 hour shifts, if I am on days, I am asleep with 30 minutes of getting home when I work day shift. When I get home from a 12 hour night shift, it usually takes me 3 hours to wind down enough to be able to sleep.

rn/writer, RN · Sep 17, 2007

I think it depends on a person's circadian rhythm. I have been a "night person" since I was an infant (according to my mother). My brain doesn't engage until noon and I perk up at 2200. I also sleep better during the day. I am diabetic and don't have a problem controlling my blood sugar on nights, as long as I watch what I eat.
Day shift is a completely different story. It doesn't matter if I do 8 hour shifts or 12 hour shifts, if I am on days, I am asleep with 30 minutes of getting home when I work day shift. When I get home from a 12 hour night shift, it usually takes me 3 hours to wind down enough to be able to sleep.

I remember reading all the scare stories. But then I read a wonderful article (wish I'd saved it) that said the hazards don't apply to those who work nights voluntarily. People who work third shift against their will have higher stress levels and all sorts of other fallout from fighting their innate circadian rhythms. But for those of us who do it by choice because it does line up with our bio-clocks, there appears to be little or no increase in health problems.

I personally would hate, hate, hate to work days. The few times I have had to do it for orientation purposes darn near finished me off. At least it gave me empathy for what nights feels like to others. I am naturally a night owl. When I'm not working, I sleep from 0400 to 1200. Working nights comes naturally to me.

So, it's not so much the hours as how your bio-clock responds to them. I'm not certain whether you can train yourself to have different circadian rhythms. All I know is that I have always been able to find a job because I can do third shift.

meri29 · Sep 17, 2007

My bio-clock is not responding to nites. I'm currently working three 12's a week, and my sleep patterns are all over the place. I need Ambien to help me sleep on my nites off. Then, I find that I'm still amotivated and tired during my time off. In a couple of weeks, I'll start doing four 8's a week instead (still at nite). I'm just hoping that my routine will normalize a bit (at least until a day shift comes available).... In terms of being sick, I'm actually very healthy. My body is just very stressed with these hours. It's all part of paying your dues as a new grad...

NursingAgainstdaOdds · Sep 17, 2007

When I first started I needed Benadryl to help me with sleep. I would use it both in the AM after a shift and on days off so I could sleep before 0500.

Now I'm more of a sleep hog. I sleep after a shift in the AM, and on days off I will often sleep after the shift and go to bed at a reasonable hour with the fam. It just makes sense for me. I sleep when I feel like it.

Hoozdo, ADN · Sep 17, 2007

I happen to like night shift a lot - but I think it is physically more dangerous for your personal life:

example - one of my coworkers almost hit a little girl getting off a school bus on the drive home. he switched to days.

example - I clumsily tripped over a pt's central line after a 13 hour night shfit while having to dodge visitors during report, (gotta love open visitation:angryfire), fell hard and herniated 4 discs in my neck. I don't think I would have done that if I weren't so tired and on night shift.

I have no examples of health problems, but some day shifters tell me they become physically ill and nauseous after working nights.

All I can say to my fellow night-workers is, be careful out there!