Are you having trouble in regular sleep due to rotational or night shifts ? Shift work sleep disorder involves a problem with your body's circadian rhythm ,Consult sleep specialist doctors at www.sleepmedcenter.com

1. Shift Work Sleep Disorder
by
The Center for Sleep Medicine

2. What is Shift Work Sleep Disorder ?
 Shift work can be very disruptive to your sleep cycle, to the point that you can
develop a circadian rhythm sleep disorder known as shift work sleep disorder.
 Unlike plain insomnia, shift work sleep disorder is tied to when you are able to
obtain sleep, often as a result of working night shifts or rotating shifts
 Your body clock does not correspond to the time of day you are able to sleep, due
to your schedule.

3. Signs and Symptoms of Shift Work Disorder
 Excessive sleepiness that causes yawning or periods of sleep
 Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep between shifts
 Low energy levels
 Headaches
 Problems concentration
 Irritability or a continual bad mood

4. Signs and Symptoms of Shift Work Disorder
 You will sustain work-related injuries
 You will make costly mistakes
 You will need more sick time
 You will be at risk for more sleep-related car accidents
 You may use alcohol or drugs to aid in sleeping or waking

5. What Causes Shift Work Disorder
 Your body views light as a signal to be awake and darkness as a cue to sleep.
 For some people, sleeping at any time is not a problem, but many on non traditional
work schedules find themselves unable to get to sleep.
 They come into work feeling tired and may even fall asleep on the job.
 They are still energized from the day and not ready to go to bed even though they have
the opportunity to sleep.
 By the time they get to sleep, it may be time to wake up, and they restart their workday
already exhausted
 While some adjust to new shifts after a time, others never really adjust to early morning
shifts, night shifts, overnight shifts, or rotating shifts and some may do better on one
rather than another.

6. Behavioral And Life Style Changes To Aid Shift Work Sleep
Disorder
 Room darkening shades
 Blocking out digital displays
 Wearing earplugs to kill sound
 Gaining the cooperation of your family to ensure uninterrupted sleep time

7. Behavioral And Life Style Changes To Aid Shift Work Sleep
Disorder
 Wearing dark wraparound glasses on your trip home from work to get you in
the mood to sleep.
 Maintaining a comfortable temperature of 65 Fahrenheit in your room so it is
not too hot or too cold to sleep.
 Eating a healthy diet rather than fast food or high-calorie vending machine
snacks
 Working exercise into your regime
 Gaining the cooperation of your family to ensure uninterrupted sleep time

8. Treatment for Shift Work Disorder
 If the testing proves that you have shift work sleep disorder, the doctor’s
recommendations might include
 A prescription for sleeping pills for a short time or a medication such as
Metaformil, which is used for narcolepsy, obstructive sleep apnea, and other sleep
disorders.
 Dietary supplement such as melatonin that can help you improve your sleep.
 Bright light therapy that uses artificial light to help you transition to new shifts.


9. Schedule An Appointment Today
 If you suspect that your work schedule is upsetting your circadian rhythm and
may be leading to shift work sleep disorder, contact us online or by calling 708-
364-0261 to book an appointment with one of our board certified sleep
specialists in Chicago.