Night shift workers face health risks due to disrupted circadian rhythms and sleep patterns. Irregular eating habits can develop from late-night snacking and caffeine use to stay awake. This can lead to weight gain, digestive issues, and lack of exercise. To maintain health, night shift workers should eat smaller, balanced meals before 1 am, choose healthy snacks, stay hydrated, exercise on breaks, and maintain sleep schedules on days off. Disturbances to circadian rhythms may increase risks of conditions like cancer, diabetes, and depression due to impacts on hormones like melatonin and serotonin.

1. BY: TANUPREET KAUR
DDHN (VLCC)

2.  Night shift workers are probably losing their
good health faster than you can say “Hello”.
Long hours of work along with a hectic work
schedule, have put an increasing number of
young professionals burning the midnight oil at
risk of major health disorders.
 Typically, shift workers experience irregular
appetites, weight gain or loss, and high rates of
gastro-intestinal disorders. Some possible
reasons for this are too much caffeine, high-fat
snacking, infrequent eating during the day, over-
eating at night and a lack of exercise. Minor
complaints range from premature graying, hair
loss, loss of sleep, digestive diseases and stress.

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4. Trying to maintain a healthy diet can be
challenging for those who work the night
shift. This is due to the disruption in the
natural rhythms of the human body. We all
have cycles for daylight and evening hours
that help to guide us throughout our daily
routine. These rhythms can change
drastically along with work schedules. In
order for late shift workers to maintain
healthy eating patterns, it is necessary to
adopt certain strategies and tips so that they
may be productive at work, without
sacrificing their health.

5. A night shift worker usually has to adapt sleep
hours to accommodate working hours. Sometimes it
is difficult to maintain stamina, which causes a
night worker to use caffeinated beverages in order
to stay awake. This can produce a vicious cycle of
sleep deprivation, as the body becomes more
accustomed to having caffeine in order to function.
Lack of sleep can cause other deficiencies, which
trigger hormonal imbalances and bad eating
habits, making one more prone to battle
overweight issues. Therefore, it is important to
ensure that getting adequate sleep is made a
priority and maintained regularly. Avoiding caffeine
five or more hours before bedtime is advisable, as
well as having a light snack before bedtime to
alleviate hunger and improve sleep quality.

6. Late shift workers can have more delicate
digestive systems. As a result, they can
become more sensitive to foods that are
generally tolerated when eaten during the
daytime. It is a good idea to avoid snack foods
that are fried or heavy in salt and fat.
Sometimes, healthy foods such as
cucumbers, cabbage, onions and some spicy
foods may also need to be avoided late at
night. Consuming caffeine and other foods that
can cause indigestion or heartburn should be
lessened or eliminated.

7. It is advisable that night and shift workers in
particular make every effort to exercise
before, during or after the work shift. Doing
this can assist in maintaining overall health and
alertness. Taking breaks as part of the shift can
promote feeling more energized and make it
easier to confront working during later hours.

8. Keeping healthy foods at home and bringing
them prepared and ready to consume during a
late night shift can help to consume less fat
and calories. It can also serve to save time and
money, as well.
 Eating smaller meals that are balanced with low healthy
fat and dairy, high protein, plenty of vegetables, fruit and
whole grains before 1 a.m. is a good strategy. For
ease, use leftovers to assemble healthy on-the-go meals.
Meal substitutes of Lean Cuisine and Healthy Choice
dinners include low-fat, low-sodium options to which fruit
and yogurt can be added for a complete and satisfying
meal.
 Healthy snack ideas can include vegetables, fruit, cottage
cheese, whole wheat crackers, cheese
sticks, yogurt, popcorn.

9. .........................

10.  Itmay take a few weeks to get used to
working the night shift.
 Going from the day shift to the night shift
can be a difficult transition. The body's
circadian sleep rhythm programs you to be
active during daylight hours and rest at
night. If not executed properly, switching to
the night shift can cause stress, high blood
pressure, poor eating habits and exhaustion.
Follow a few tips to allow for a smooth
transition.

11.  Give your body fuel. Eat healthy, energy-
boosting foods before your shift, such as fresh
fruits, vegetables, whole grains and protein.
Avoid sugary or caffeinated drinks, as you don't
want to become dependent on them or suffer
from an energy crash later in your shift. Remain
hydrated with water.
 Reverse your eating schedule. Although you'll be
used to eating your smallest meal in the morning
and your largest meal at night, it will be difficult
to work after eating a huge dinner. Eat your
largest meal after leaving work in the
morning, and your smallest meal just before
going to work.

12.  Keep energized. Even though it's tempting to
allow your day to revolve around
eating, sleeping and working, make sure you
exercise as much as possible. This will help
your stress level remain low, and provide you
with energy throughout the day. If
possible, exercise during a break at work if
you're feeling sluggish.
 Get your rest when you need to. Studies
show that 15- to 20-minute naps can be
greatly beneficial for restoring energy.
Instead of drinking coffee on a coffee
break, take a short nap.

13.  Don't go right to sleep after work. Model your day as much
as possible after those who work the day shift. Day shift
workers typically take time to unwind after work before
going to bed. Take a few hours to run errands, spend time
with your family, eat a healthy meal or catch up on
reading before heading off to sleep.
 When it's time to sleep, shut out the day. You'll benefit
from convincing your body it's actually sleeping during the
night hours. Keep your sleeping quarters as dark as
possible; draw the blinds and close the drapes, wear a
sleeping blindfold and wear earplugs to shut out noises.

 Keep to your night shift schedule on your days off. You may
seem like an oddball, sitting up all night with nothing to
do, but it will be exhausting and stressful to your body to
alternate between a day shift and night shift lifestyle.

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15.  Circadian Cycle
A night shift worker essentially reverses their
circadian cycle, aiming to sleep during the daytime
hours and work during the nighttime hours. This
causes a variety of metabolic and hormonal
problems, including heart disease, diabetes and
depression.
 Lack of Sunlight
Sunlight helps to regulate blood flow to the
brain, along with levels of serotonin and melatonin
in the body. Night shift workers commonly do not
experience much sunlight, which often results in
unbalanced levels of these hormones, resulting in
depression, anxiety, and loss of energy.

16.  Serotonin
An article in the August 2007 issue of the SLEEP journal
noted that people who work the night shift have
significantly lower levels of the chemical serotonin. Low
amounts of serotonin greatly increase the risk of
depression.
 Insomnia
As they adjust into their new schedules, workers on the
night shift commonly experience bouts of insomnia or
difficulty sleeping. Unfortunately, frequent insomnia is a
precursor for depression; the workers feel as though they
will never adjust to the new schedule and feel exhausted
during most of their waking hours.
 Isolation
Working the night shift commonly causes the employee to
miss family functions and social activities. This lack of
socialization and quality family time can result in feelings
of guilt, loneliness and depression.

17.  Women at risk of developing Breast
Cancer
 Disturbances to the sleep-wake cycle may increase cancer risk by
affecting melatonin levels, in reality it is difficult to disentangle
shift work from many other lifestyle factors among people with
cancer.
 It is believed that shift work effects the body clock and the
release of the hormone melatonin.
 At night, melatonin is released and helps regulate sleep patterns.
 Imbalanced Melatonin also lowers the level of the female
hormone oestrogen, a development which is known to encourage
the growth of certain cancers.
 If a person spends too long in artificial light, such as a shift
worker, researchers believe this could affect the amount of
melatonin released, therefore increasing the risk of breast
cancer.

18.  Rotating shift work ups Diabetes risk in women
Working women, who are subjected to rotating
schedules, comprising of three or more night
shifts per month are more vulnerable to type 2
diabetes risk compared to women who only work
on day or evening shifts, a new study has
revealed.
The study led by researchers at Harvard School
of Public Health (HSPH), found that extended
years of rotating night shift work was associated
with weight gain, which causes increased risk of
type 2 diabetes.

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20.  Maintain a healthy diet. A diet balanced of
carbohydrates, protein, and omega-3 fats (found in
walnuts and coldwater fish such as herring) will assist in
maintaining energy throughout the night.
 Avoid spicy and high-fat foods at night. At night, the body's
digestive system slows down and does not easily digest
heavy foods. Adjusting your eating habits will increase
energy levels.
 Be conscious of calorie intake. Third shift forces you to eat
meals at odd times, and extra meals are eaten because of
family meals in the morning or at dinnertime. Third-shift
workers are often awake for longer periods of time than
people who work a traditional shift. If you know that you
will be awake for a long period of time, eat smaller calorie
meals to space your caloric intake out throughout the day.

21.  Prepare snacks at home to bring to work.
Yogurt, fruit and fresh vegetables will help you
avoid readily available vending machine snacks
that are high in fat and calories. Space snacks
out between each meal so your blood's natural
sugar level does not dive between meals.
 Adjust your eating pattern to your working
hours. Eat when you wake up and space out
meals as if on a day shift schedule.
 Limit caffeine intake. Drinking to much
coffee, pop or other caffeinated beverages will
affect your ability to sleep.

23. Breakfast
Although most of us eat breakfast before we
start our work day, night shift workers may
benefit more by having breakfast shortly after
their work day has ended. If you get off from
work during the morning hours, such as 5 a.m.
to 9 a.m., this would be the best time to have
your breakfast. This could consist of a bowl of
high-fiber cereal, two slices of toast with
butter and jam, and a glass of juice. You can
also vary this from time to time by having two
eggs and three slices of bacon with your toast.

24. Lunch
After sleeping during the day, you lunch time may
actually be around 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the evening.
Lunch may normally be considered a small
meal, but this should be your largest meal of the
day. By having a larger meal before you go to
work, you will have more energy to work those long
hours at night. This meal could include any variety
of cooked meats such as baked chicken, beef, pork
or fish. You will also need to have vegetables on
the side. Breads such as dinner rolls or whole wheat
sliced bread can give you extra energy as well. This
can also be a good time to enjoy a nice light
dessert with your meal.

25. Dinner
Since you will be having your dinner on your lunch
break at work, it will most likely be a lighter meal.
You may be packing your lunch to work and having
your dinner around 10 p.m. to midnight. A healthy
dinner to enjoy may include a sandwich with
lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise, some fresh, raw
fruits or vegetables, and a bag of low-calorie
cookies. You may occasionally want to vary this by
taking a microwave dinner, a slice of bread, and a
piece of fruit for your dinner meal.

26. Snacks
To keep your energy level up while working
those long nights, it is also important to have a
healthy snack between the hours of 2 a.m. and
4 a.m. Examples of foods to enjoy are an
apple, a few grapes, celery sticks with peanut
butter, or low-salt air-popped popcorn.

28. We can see here that there is an increased
trend with working in night shifts, which is
leading to a lot of stress & health related
issues amongst people who are unaware of
its ill effects in the longer run.
Therefore, firms employing people for night
shifts must employ proper nutritionists to
maintain proper health of its employees.