An average adult needs between 7.5 and 8 hours of sleep per night. That’s how the sleep awake cycle appears to humans. There is a part of the brain call ‘circadian clock’ which keeps an eye on the amount of light you see. According to better health channel (2015) In the evening, when the light starts to wane, your clock notices and prompts a flood of a brain chemical called melatonin, which gives the body the signal to fall asleep. Overnight, melatonin levels remain high. They drop at daybreak and remain low during the day.
Further during the day time other chemicals will work in the body such as noradrenaline and acetylcholine increase in the body keep you awake in the day time. This changing activity named as circadian rhythm. Therefore a person who has engaged in night shift is running counter to their circadian rhythm. It doesn’t help by getting enough sleep during the day time. Therefore this may put them in health risks in different ways.
- Risk of heart disease and cancer (according to research by Violanti, Vila and colleagues)
- Increased likelihood of obesity.
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Higher risk worsens moods.
- Increased risk of stomach problems.
- Decrease cognitive abilities.
- Higher risk of vehicle accidents.
- Risk Work-related accidents.
- Risk of depression family problems, including divorce, breakup.
According to experts views on night shift work it can seriously impact on health of people. In term of life style working odd hours will create different problems. They have to face sleep disturbances and sleep loss. Further, night people will get isolated by their friends since they can’t work on day time. In addition they will not get chance to exercise regularly which they will keep away from fitness activities. It’s clear that working night will cause disruption to the circadian rhythm & greater risk of various disorders, accidents and misfortunes