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GRAVEYARD SHIFT WORKER MANUAL
GRAVEYARD SHIFT WORKER SERIES

Purchase a light box for light therapy to expose your eyes to extremely bright but safe light before work.Wear earplugs or use white noise to drown out sound while you sleep.Keep nightly rituals before bed, even during the daytime.It can cut into your sleeping hours and cause further drowsiness. Ask them to avoid household chores until you’re awake.

Ask family and other live-in companions to reduce noise by using headphones to watch television or listen to music.

Use heavy shades for sleeping to create a dark environment.

Maintain a healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

Limit caffeine intake four hours before bedtime.

Doing so can help prevent the “daytime” clock from activating.

Wear sunglasses when leaving work to minimize sun exposure.

GRAVEYARD SHIFT WORKER SERIES

If possible, take 48 hours off after a series of shifts.

Try to keep a regular sleep schedule, including on days off.

There are many lifestyle changes you can make which may help relieve some of your sleep disorder symptoms: While many employees aren’t able to change their work hours, there are ways to lessen the effects of SWSD. Lifestyle changes that help manage shift work sleep disorder These monitors will evaluate things like: They might order a sleep study to rule out these, or other, sleep disorders.ĭuring the sleep study, you’ll sleep in a clinic overnight with monitors that may be placed on your finger, chest, or face. Since SWSD can mimic other sleep disorders, your doctor might first rule out conditions such as narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea. You’ll also likely be asked about your medical history and any current medications. They may ask you for a sleep diary that covers at least seven days. Your doctor will likely ask you a series of questions about your sleep patterns and disturbances as well as what sort of shift you currently work.

GRAVEYARD SHIFT WORKER MANUAL

They may use the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, the newest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or both. Your doctor will use diagnostic criteria to determine whether you have SWSD.

How is shift work sleep disorder diagnosed? It can result in accidents both on and off the job when not managed properly. Therefore, the symptoms of SWSD shouldn’t be taken lightly. It’s believed to be partly responsible for the Chernobyl disaster, Pennsylvania’s nuclear power plant disaster in 1979, and the Exxon spill on the Alaskan coast in 1989. Sleepiness can create dangerous work conditions. Older workers and female workers are at risk for higher levels of sleep deprivation with this condition. It can also increase your risk of cancer. It can impact your health, including heart health and proper digestive function. sleep that feels incomplete or not refreshingĬhronic sleep deprivation can be dangerous and can increase your risk for falling asleep at the wheel or making errors on the job.insomnia that prevents you from getting adequate sleep.excessive sleepiness, both on and off the job.You may experience many of the following symptoms: The symptoms often impact your everyday life. SWSD is a chronic, or long-term, condition. What are the symptoms of shift work sleep disorder? Many people who work these shifts have circadian rhythms that make them natural “ night owls,” and they’re able to avoid the disorder. However, not everyone who works a nontraditional shift experiences SWSD. Those who have regularly shifting schedules are most likely to be affected. The Cleveland Clinic estimates that between 10 to 40 percent of shift workers experience SWSD. The circadian rhythm can have frustrating symptoms when it’s been thrown off, since it affects: The nontraditional work schedule can disrupt a person’s circadian rhythm, or “biological clock.” It regulates wakefulness and sleepiness at relatively set times throughout the 24-hour day. These symptoms can affect both work and leisure time. It’s characterized by excessive sleepiness, lack of refreshing sleep, and drowsiness. Shift work sleep disorder (SWSD) occurs in individuals who work nontraditional hours like split shift, graveyard shifts, early morning shifts, or rotating shifts.