![]() ![]() But they sleep at home like real night shift workers. ![]() Most of these studies, including those reported here, were simulated night shift studies in which volunteers "work" night shifts in the lab. This is done by using bright light from light boxes during the night shift, dark sunglasses on the commute home and a regular, dark, daytime sleep period. She has shown that by creating a new 24 pattern of light and dark the circadian clock can be completely reset, or phase-shifted, to align with the night work, day sleep schedule. has been working on methods to trick the circadian clock of the night worker into aligning with the night work, day sleep schedule in order to eliminate circadian misalignment. This number will probably increase as we become even more of a 2417 society. Millions of Americans, 15 to 20% of the workforce, work night shifts. In any case, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified night work as a probable carcinogen. Light suppresses the secretion of the neurohormone melatonin which is an antioxidant. Finally, the higher incidence of cancer could be caused, in part, by light during the night shift. Shorter sleep has been linked to obesity and diabetes. Another factor which could account for health problems is the shortened and disrupted sleep. This is called "circadian misalignment" because the daily activities and the internal circadian rhythms are not properly aligned. ![]() Thus, the body is not properly prepared for these activities. One is the fact the night workers are forced to be awake, to eat meals and to sleep at the wrong times according to their internal circadian clock. There are several factors that may account for this. Night shift workers have a higher incidence of cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Aside from the obvious safety risks to the night worker and to the public, especially for critical jobs such as nuclear power plant operators and hospital intensive care nurses, there are long term health consequences for the workers. This results in cumulative partial sleep deprivation which exacerbates the natural circadian dip in alertness during the night shift. Furthermore, since we are programmed to be alert during the day, night shift workers often have shortened and disrupted sleep when they go home to sleep during the daytime after the night shift. This low point produced by the circadian clock persists even if the worker obtains enough sleep during the day. This creates a problem for night shift workers who feel sleepy and are most prone to accidents at work, especially near the end of the night shift. Body temperature, alertness and performance reach a low point around 4 to 6 am. As diurnal animals we are programmed by our circadian clocks to feel sleepy and to sleep at night, and to be awake and alert during the day. Our circadian clocks are synchronized to the 24 hour day primarily by the light and dark to which we are exposed, to the 24 hour light-dark cycle. Humans, like most of the plants and animals on the planet, have an internal circadian clock which produces daily (circadian) rhythms in almost all functions and variables such as body temperature, cognitive and physical performance, the secretion of hormones and neurotransmitters, etc. ![]()
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