7 tips to better cope with night work

What effect does shift work have on your sleep?

Sectors such as health care, hospitality, transportation and police services are characterized by their evening and night work.

Our bodies naturally work according to a 24-hour rhythm, becoming active and alert after sunrise and tending to sleep after sunset.

Production of hormones, such as melatonin, play an important role here. Our body goes into sleep mode, causing our body temperature, blood pressure and heart rate to drop. As well as our need to eat falls away.

In the morning, the production of cortisol increases, making our bodies physically and mentally ready to start the day. Melatonin production then decreases.

So when working at night, you are asking your body to function at a time when it is naturally programmed to shut down. This body physiology is the product of millions of years of evolution and you can't just change it.Tips for prevention focus on limiting short-term effects (sleep problems or shift work disorder and digestive problems):

1. Differentiate: Are you an evening or a morning type? Lab research confirms that the biological clock in evening people runs slower than in morning people so they can handle late shifts better.
2. Work with forward rotating schedules i.e. start with the morning shift, then afternoon shift, then night shift and then plenty of rest.
3. A 20- to 40-minute "power nap" during the night shift, between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m., can reduce sleepiness during the shift.
4. Recovery need among 45-60 year olds in night work is greater than among young people in the same work.
5. Long-term use of medications to restore a disrupted biological clock is not recommended.
6. Drink plenty of water and limit caffeinated beverages.
7. Eat easily digestible meals at night and avoid sugars.

We now also know from research that night workers who do night work for several years have a high risk (=long-term effects) of developing diabetes mellitus (type2) and cardiovascular disease. This can be explained in large part because we tend to eat more energetically at night.

I use both my professional roles, on the one hand as a nurse and on the other hand as a career coach, on a daily basis to contribute to the health of my patients and coachees. This holistic view helps people function better physically, mentally, socially and spiritually and promotes their health.

Do you too want to make your health a priority?

Then know that career coaching is much more than looking together for which job suits you! As career coaches, we like to help promote your personal health so that you experience more job and life satisfaction, less stress, ... .

Sources: Gommans et al., 2015 - Nathalie Pattyn, professor of biological psychology at VUB - Lode Godderis, professor of occupational medicine at KU Leuven - https://www.eoswetenschap.eu/gezondheid/nachtwerk-ondermijnt-de-gezondheid - Powerpoint, Prof. Dr. Carel Hulshof, Chair of the Committee on Night Work and Health Risks, Feb. 15, 2018