Ever wonder what happens to your body when you work the night shift? It’s a natural question. Most people are used to waking up, eating breakfast, and heading out to work during the day. But if you were asked to change that schedule and start working at night, how would it affect your body? And could that affect your life in general?
Here are some of the effects that working at night can have on your physical and mental health.
What does the night shift do to your body?
1) Your body clock is off
Your body clock is a 24-hour cycle that regulates the timing of your sleep and wakefulness. It’s called the circadian rhythm, and it can be reset by light, melatonin, or sleep.
When you work the night shift, your circadian rhythm gets out of sync with your actual schedule. This means that if you try to sleep during the day when most people are awake, it won’t feel like sleeping. Your brain won’t release enough melatonin for it to feel like restful slumber.
2) You’re prone to sleepiness during the day
You are more likely to feel sleepy during the day. You may have trouble concentrating, which can lead to poor performance and accidents at work. Sleepiness can also cause you to make mistakes that could result in injury or death – a huge problem for night shift workers.
Sleepiness is a major concern for people who work at night because they are deprived of sleep during their normal waking hours.
3) You are more likely to have heart problems and diabetes
Working the night shift can have serious health effects. The most common are heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. If you work the night shift for long periods of time, you may develop sleep apnea. Sleep apnea may eventually lead to hypertension because it causes chronic stress on your heart health.
4) It can hurt your relationships and career success
The night shift can be stressful, and it is important to make sure you are taking care of yourself. If you want to maintain your relationship with your friends and family members, it’s important that you find ways to stay connected with them.
If you have a partner or spouse who works night shifts, this could be difficult for both parties, especially if there are children involved. In these cases, it might be necessary for one parent to switch shifts so that both parents are able to spend time with their families during daylight hours when everyone else is awake too.
5) It’s bad for eyesight and hearing
Working the night shift can cause blurred vision and even blindness. This is because the circadian rhythms get out of whack when you alter the sleeping patterns and they affect everything from digestion to memory function and mood regulation.
The blue light emitted by computer screens can damage the retina over time, leading to cataracts or other eye problems such as glaucoma or macular degeneration.
Working the whole night can be a dangerous and unhealthy habit. It’s important to know what your body is going through, so you can make sure it gets enough rest during the day and doesn’t suffer from any side effects like heart problems or diabetes. If you are already working nights or planning on starting soon, make sure you are taking care of yourself by getting proper sleep at least eight hours during the day.
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