Night shifts are bad for you, says report
Working during the day, enjoying nights out, and lying in at the
weekend to catch up on sleep
may result in more than just
grumpiness on a Monday morning. Burning the candle at both
ends could be as unhealthy as
smoking, warn scientists.
A report in New Scientist
looks at the problems of
Britain's emerging 24-hour society. It claims that shopping at
midnight, selling shares at 4 am,
and working night shifts can
damage health, intelligence, and
relationships as our bodies are
not designed to cope.
(JOHN MARTIN/THE STOCKMARKET)
"People have to accept that
they are members of a daytime
species," Professor Simon
Foulkard, a sleep expert from
the University of Wales, told New
Scientist. "Asking people to work
at night is a bit like throwing
them into the sea to be aquatic
for a week. It is possible but we
are not designed to do it, so
there are risks."
Professor Foulkard studied
how people cope with working
night shifts. He divided people
into early risers, so called "larks,"
and night "owls." Although owls
prefer late shifts, they are more
at risk of problems ranging from
muscular aches and pains to
heart disease. They can also
become depressed, anxious, and
prone to accidents.
Suprisingly, owls believe they
are more alert in the evening.
"The irony is that if you ask
evening types which shift they
prefer they will say permanent
night shift," said Professor
Foulkard. "They self select the
very shift that does them the
most damage." The way to
avoid risk is contrary to expectation. "Night owls should avoid
working nights, while larks handle late shifts better."
Ignoring your internal
rhythms can put you at risk of
chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS),
which causes overwhelming
tiredness, poor concentration,
depression, and pain. Nobody
knows what causes the disease,
but chronobiologist Jim Waterhouse from John Moores University suggests it is due to an
erratic lifestyle. At a recent
meeting in London he discussed
the theory that a disorientated
biological clock can perpetuate
the illness.
"There is a possible parallel
between CFS sufferers and night
workers who suffer the same
symptoms in a reduced form,"
he said.
Professor Foulkard is con-
vinced that tampering with your
body clock's natural settings is a
hazardous activity. He told New
Scientist: "We can't ignore the
body clock and become members of the 24-hour society with-
out incurring penalties."
Kay Brennan, Leeds
studentBMJ 2000;08:217-258 July ISSN 0966-6494
