What is shift work sleep disorder?
Shift work sleep disorder means having trouble sleeping because you work nights or rotating shifts. It involves a problem with your body's 24-hour internal clock, or circadian rhythm. This trouble sleeping can affect your daily life and your health.
What are the symptoms of shift work sleep disorder?
Symptoms include not being able to sleep during the day. And even if you do sleep, you might not feel rested. You might have trouble staying awake or alert when you are supposed to work your shift. Other symptoms include problems concentrating at home and at work.
How is shift work sleep disorder diagnosed?
To diagnose shift work sleep problems, your doctor will use a sleep journal and possibly sleep studies to see if you have sleep problems from shift work. He or she will ask about your work hours, when you sleep, how much you sleep, and how you feel when you wake up. Your doctor also will ask if you feel very tired or fall asleep while you're at work.
With a sleep journal, you keep track of when you sleep, how much you sleep, and how you feel when you wake up. You write down this information for a week or two. Your doctor will look at it when you're done.
You might also have a test called actigraphy. For this test, you wear an activity tracker on your wrist that measures your movement during the day and at night. It helps your doctor learn when you are awake and when you are asleep.
How is shift work sleep disorder treated?
Treatment may include short-term use of prescription medicine or over-the-counter supplements. It may also include following a regular routine for going to sleep and waking up. This may include naps. Try to sleep someplace that's quiet, dark, and cool. Using caffeine or light (phototherapy) at certain times may help you stay alert.
Taking care of yourself when you work nights or rotating shifts
When you work nights or rotating shifts, taking good care of yourself can be a challenge.
It's common to feel "off," tired, or disconnected from the rest of the world. And that can make it hard to get in a good, healthy routine.
The following tips may help you make some changes. Your doctor may recommend things for you to try. You can choose the ones that you feel ready to try.
- Get good sleep.
It can be tough to get good, restful sleep during the day. Our bodies often prefer to sleep at night. To help your body prepare for sleeping during the day, you can:
- Wear dark glasses on your way home from work. This helps send a message to your body that it's almost time to sleep.
- Avoid caffeine drinks for at least 6 hours before you go to sleep.
- Keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and cool. Use curtains, blinds, or a sleep mask to block out light. Cover clocks in your bedroom with a towel. To block out noise, try earplugs, soothing music, or a "white noise" machine.
- Try to not use technology such as TVs, smartphones, computers, or tablet devices for at least an hour before you go to sleep.
- Do something to relax before you go to bed. You might try a warm shower or bath or maybe some deep breathing or stretching.
- Keep the same sleep and wake times.
This includes the days you don't work.
- Take care of your body.
It may be hard to keep up your regular exercise routine. But you can try to get some extra activity at work.
- Take a walk during your breaks. If you work at a desk, do stretches in front of your computer.
- Use your commute to do some extra walking. Park several blocks away, or get off the bus a few stops early.
- Use the stairs instead of the elevator.
Try to eat meals, at regular times. Eating at set times is important for your body.
Be aware that not getting enough sleep can often make you feel hungry. If you feel hungry:
- Ask yourself: "Am I hungry enough to eat an apple?" If you're not hungry enough for an apple, then your body may not be truly hungry.
- Drink some water. Dehydration can feel like hunger. And that means drinking more water can make you feel less hungry.
Take your medicines safely.
- Changes in your schedule can make it harder to remember to take any prescription medicines you need to take. Try setting an alert on your phone, using a paper calendar, or using a pill box.
- Keep a supply of medicines at work, if you'll need them there.
- Make rotating shifts easier.
If your shift times tend to change a lot, you can:
- Talk to your manager about keeping shift changes to a minimum, if possible.
- Try to have shifts rotate clockwise. For example, it's better to rotate from a day shift, to an evening shift, to a night shift. This is easier for your body to adjust to than random shift changes.
- Stay connected to your loved ones.
It can be hard to miss important events or to have to sleep when everyone else is awake. To help stay connected to the people you love:
- Make a calendar the whole family can see. Include your work hours and your sleep hours. This will help everyone know when they can expect to see you.
- Plan a weekly activity that you can all look forward to. Make a plan to call your kids or your partner on scheduled breaks.
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