One of the most important parts of sleep health is maintaining a regular and productive sleep routine. A major part of that routine typically involves your body’s circadian rhythm, or sleep wake cycle.
If you work non-traditional hours, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy sleep routine, because your body naturally triggers a sleep response when it is surrounded by darkness and a wake response when there is light. This can be especially hard for individuals who work overnight shifts in places where they are more exposed to the outdoors. This is because they cannot “trick” their bodies into believing that it is daytime with artificial light when it is dark outside.
If you work nontraditional hours and, therefore, have to sleep nontraditional hours, you may experience some discomfort when initially changing your sleep routine. If this discomfort continues after 2-3 weeks, however, you might be suffering from a sleep disorder called shift work sleep disorder.
What is Shift Work Sleep Disorder?
Shift work sleep disorder is a type of sleep disorder that affects individuals who work non-traditional hours, such as overnight shifts, early morning shifts, or rotating shifts. The disorder is characterized by a disruption of the body’s natural circadian rhythm, which can make it difficult for individuals to fall asleep, stay asleep, or get restful sleep during the day.
This sleep disorder may present similar to a combination of other disorders, including insomnia, hypersomnia, and even depression. At the end of the day, though, treating the underlying problem can help solve all the side effects.
Shift Work Sleep Disorder and Your Circadian Rhythm
Circadian rhythm refers to the natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and other physiological processes. This process is often referred to as the body’s “internal clock”.
The circadian rhythm plays an important role in regulating a variety of physiological processes, including sleep, hormone production, metabolism, and immune function. The circadian rhythm is regulated by a group of cells in your brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which is located in the hypothalamus. The SCN responds to light and darkness and helps to synchronize the body’s internal clock with the external environment. Disruptions to the circadian rhythm, such as those caused by shift work, jet lag, or sleep disorders, can lead to a range of health problems, including sleep disorders, mood disorders, and even metabolic disorders.
Maintaining a regular sleep-wake schedule, avoiding exposure to bright light when it is time for you to go to sleep, and practicing good sleep hygiene are all ways to help support a healthy circadian rhythm. While this can be difficult when you work nontraditional hours or are regularly awake throughout the night for other reasons, it is not impossible to regulate your circadian rhythm.
Symptoms
Shift work sleep disorder can be difficult to diagnose, as its symptoms can overlap with other sleep disorders and medical conditions. However, some common signs and symptoms of shift work sleep disorder include: difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep during the day, difficulty staying awake or alert while working or during other activities, excessive sleepiness or fatigue, particularly during work hours, poor quality sleep or frequent awakenings during the day, mood swings or irritability, decreased productivity at work, or even gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, constipation, or diarrhea.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and you work non-traditional hours, it is important to speak with a sleep medicine specialist as soon as possible as these problems tend to get worse with time.
Prevention
The most important thing that you can do to avoid shift work sleep disorder if you have a non-traditional sleep schedule is to keep your circadian rhythm in mind. Remember that your body naturally wants to sleep when it’s dark out and be awake when it is light out. Finding ways to keep it light while you need to be awake and giving yourself 8 hours of darkness and quiet to get a full “night’s” sleep is crucial.
If you aren’t sure how to make this happen, there are several steps you can take to help reduce your risk of developing shift work sleep disorder and to manage your sleep.
First you should establish a consistent sleep-wake schedule. Look at your current schedule and decide what the best time to sleep is and try to maintain a consistent sleep schedule from there. You are going to want to maintain this sleep schedule, even on your days off, to help regulate your body’s internal clock.
Another thing you need to do is create a sleep-conducive environment. This could involve something as simple as buying and putting up a blackout curtain or white noise machine or it could mean setting up an entirely separate sleeping space from housemates on a more traditional schedule to avoid being woken up throughout the day. Make sure your sleep environment is dark, cool, and quiet, and you might even want to consider using earplugs and an eye mask to block out noise and light.
This next one might seem counterproductive or difficult to do, but you should also limit caffeine and alcohol intake, even during the times where you want to stay awake. While caffeine might give you a quick boost of energy when you are feeling tired, caffeine and alcohol can interfere with your sleep schedule and disrupt your sleep-wake cycle. Try to limit your intake of these substances, especially before bedtime.
It is also important to avoid using electronic devices before bedtime. Studies show that the blue light emitted from many electronic devices, including cell phones, can cause serious problems with your body’s natural internal clock. Instead you should focus on developing a relaxing bedtime routine to help prepare your body for sleep. This might include yoga, breathing exercises, a warm bath, or anything else that calms you down.
If you are still experiencing persistent sleep problems after making the necessary lifestyle changes, it might be time to talk to your doctor or a sleep medicine specialist. Poor sleep habits can lead to many other medical concerns and mental health problems down the road as well as leave you feeling tired and cranky when you should be at your most productive.
Treatment
If you are diagnosed with shift work sleep disorder, a sleep medicine doctor may recommend a combination of strategies to help manage your symptoms and improve your sleep. Treatment plans are highly personalized and may depend on any number of factors including severity of symptoms, the hours you work, and any financial constraints.
Lifestyle Changes
The first step in treating shift work sleep disorder is often to make lifestyle changes that can help improve sleep, such as establishing a consistent sleep schedule and creating a sleep-conducive environment. For patients with minor symptoms, making some simple changes can help you get back to a healthy sleep pattern.
Light Therapy
If those changes do not help or if your current sleep environment is already optimal, your sleep specialist might suggest light therapy. Exposure to bright light during your work shift and darkness during your sleep period can help regulate your body’s internal clock. If you are not getting those light and dark cues from your current Light therapy can help shift your circadian rhythm and improve sleep.
Medication
Your doctor may prescribe medication to help improve sleep quality and promote wakefulness during work hours. The first sleep aid that most sleep specialists try is melatonin. Melatonin is considered safe, and some workers find that it greatly improves the quality of their sleep.
Hypnotics and sedatives, however, may be used sparingly and for short periods of time. This might include medications like Ambien and Lunesta, which can be prescribed by your regular medical doctor or a certified sleep medicine physician.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a type of talk therapy that can help you develop skills and strategies to manage sleep problems. Your sleep medicine doctor may recommend CBT to help you adjust to shift work and manage sleep disruptions.
Workplace Accommodations
Your employer may be able to make accommodations to help you manage your shift work and improve your sleep, such as adjusting your work schedule or providing a quieter, more sleep-friendly workspace from extended shifts. With a doctor’s note and a sleep disorder diagnosis, your employer has certain obligations, depending on the state you live in, to make reasonable accommodations.
Gingras Sleep Medicine
Gingras Sleep Medicine, located in Charlotte, North Carolina, is a sleep medicine clinic specializing in sleep disorders and related conditions for patients of all ages. Founder and Medical Director, Dr. Jeannine Gingras is a triple board-certified sleep medicine specialist who has been studying and treating sleep disorders for decades! She gets to know each patient individually, ensuring she has a clear picture of their issues and concerns, carefully determines the causes, and creates a personalized treatment plan to get them the relief they need.
Call (704) 944-0562 or visit us online to make an appointment today to start your journey towards healthy sleep!