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How much do you work?

It seems the 9 to 5 job is becoming a thing of the past. People are working longer hours and families increasingly have both parents in the workforce. You hear a lot about the recommended hours of sleep (8 hours) and tips to fall asleep – but what if you are a night shift worker?

Working at night

More than 15 million Americans work the night shift between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. These people make up an important part of the workforce –hospital staff, emergency personnel and those in the transportation industry, to name a few. While most of the country is sleeping, shift workers are filling the ever-increasing demand for 24-7 productivity.

Sleep and wake cycles

While it seems reasonable that shift workers can simply sleep during the day, they are at a big disadvantage – fighting the body’s natural sleep patterns that we all experience in the evening hours.

All humans run on a 24-hour sleep and wake cycle, regulated by what’s called a circadian clock. Our circadian clocks are “pre-set” to react to nature’s light and darkness and the desire to sleep is strongest between midnight and 6 a.m. It is no surprise, therefore, that up to 20 percent of shift workers report falling asleep on the job.

How can I solve my sleep problems?

So, what can you do if you are a shift worker? Make sleep take precedence over all other tasks when you arrive home from work. You need to regulate what time you go to bed every day and stay on that schedule. Getting both the quantity and quality of sleep your body needs is important.

Furthermore, you need to communicate this to anyone else present in your home when you return from work. Try wearing earplugs and eye shades to create a tranquil and non-stimulating environment.

Additionally, save household tasks and daily activities until after you wake up – keeping your mind clear and calm before bedtime.

If you are getting adequate sleep, but still find yourself falling asleep during your shift, you may want to contact your employer about filling your schedule with additional tasks or varying your hours.

About the Expert:
Lee Loree is the inventor and developer of SLEEPTRACKER, an innovative sleep watch device that monitors your sleep patterns throughout the night and continuously looks for the optimum moment to wake you up – waking you refreshed from a lite sleep stage.
www.sleeptracker.com