Monavie Health Club

Question: What are the health tips to be followed for a person working in night shift?

(Posted by: Nathan Eglington on 2010-03-11 19:57:27)

During normal days I usually sleep for 6 hrs which I feel is adequate, I sleep the same number of hours for night shift also, is that adequate or should I need more rest? Also what should be time span between every meal, I take something in the morning before I go to sleep I then get up sometimes in the evening, have something before I leave for work, at midnight around 1 pm , I take a snack Besides all this I try to do fitness, I workout twice, its mostly jogging or running.During morning I either workout after my food or after having it(I usually do after 2- 3 hours gap), while in the evening I do it before food Is there any changes that I must bring in this routine or would this be fine I work for 6 days a week in night shift, its really tiring!!!!

Posted by: Cuse Fan on 2010-03-11, 19:59:02

Sleep for an extra hour or two. Your body is meant to function during the day so you need more energy to work at night.

Posted by: goodvibes on 2010-03-11, 20:01:41

I would suggest you just don't do this. If there is anyway for you not to work this shift...Years ago I sold auto insurance & I remember when people would tell me about having a very bad accident I would start to say "Are you a nurse? ". I was able to read people. I learned about the life of people who worked night shift & it destroyed their health & was never worth the money. So that is the only tip I can give you.

Posted by: Justin on 2010-03-11, 20:03:15

I would strongly suggest taking a college level holistic nutrition class. But I would say that eating early and often after waking up. Breakfast is literally breaking the pattern of fasting which means not eating. Most people do not know why it is called breakfast. But if you eat later before bed your body will be working while sleeping and you will not wake up hungry. Sleep supplements I think you might need melatonin not sure still learning more about it in school. good luck

Posted by: the Ў fa¢юr on 2010-03-11, 20:04:20

*Claps Claps* Its really commendable, the kind of discipline you have in your routine. And yeah, I cant answer your qn.

Posted by: PurpleHeart on 2010-03-11, 20:08:23

"During normal days I usually sleep for 6 hrs which I feel is adequate, I sleep the same number of hours for night shift also, is that adequate or should I need more rest? " Research says should be 8 hours. "Also what should be time span between every meal, I take something in the morning before I go to sleep " I never schedule my own meal so I can't answer this, but don't eat anything 2 hours prior sleep. "Besides all this I try to do fitness, I workout twice,its mostly jogging or running.During morning I either workout after my food or after having it(I usually do after 2-3 hours gap),while in the evening I do it before food " Yep, that's the correct thing, don't directly eat before/ after exercise, give a time gap. "Is there any changes that I must bring in this routine or would this be fine " (If you consume any) Please watch out your daily coffee intake, taking excessively would disrupt your sleeping patern and other health issues later.

Posted by: Nirmala on 2010-03-11, 20:53:02

Hi Shiftwork and shifts with extended hours refer to any non-standard work schedule. The traditional eight-hour day worked between 7 AM and 6 PM has changed dramatically and many people now regularly work evening and night shifts and/ or extended hours. Studies show that shiftwork and shifts with extended hours can have significant adverse effects on health, workplace accident rates, absenteeism and a worker's personal life. Researchers have found several negative health effects in shiftworkers and workers on extended hours. Some of these are: * Increased heart disease * Gastric ulcers and gastro intestinal problems * Social problems and minor psychiatric disorders * Sleep disorders and increased fatigue * Increased error rates and accident rates. Some personal factors can make workers more susceptible to problems when doing shift work or extended hours. These include: * A heavy domestic work load * Psychiatric illness * A history of alcohol or drug abuse * Epilepsy * Diabetes * Heart disease People vary in how they cope with shift work depending on their health, fitness, age, lifestyle, and domestic responsibilities; some adapt well, others do not. Whilst we cannot change our inbuilt characteristics, it is possible to alter our behavior or make lifestyle changes that may make shift work more tolerable. To be able to work in night shifts without compromising on health, there are certain steps one can take to keep healthy: 1. One should eat dinner, before beginning the shift, at 7 or 8 pm rather than late at night when it is almost 12. 2. Many people avoid eating or eat a fatty snack food because they do not want to feel heavy before a shift. In that case, food choices like idlis with chutney, brown rice, poha (flattened rice) with vegetables, besan cheela (gram flour pancake) made on non stick pan, vegetable dalia (wheat porridge), cereal with milk can be some of the options which are not heavy like a full meal and yet are very satisfying. 3. One should keep oneself hydrated through the night with water, nimbu paani (lemon water), coconut water, herbal tea, soups, ginger drink, barley drink made fresh in the café. 4. If one feels hungry at night one can eat a combination of nuts and murmura. For example: a dry snack can be made using any of the ingredients like peanuts, roasted flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, raisins, puffed rice, roasted chana, roasted corn, roasted moth and other dals. 5. One should try to manage hunger by drinking more fluids than eating starchy foods. 6. Drinking luke warm water before eating is a great idea for improving digestion as it lubricates and activates the intestine, especially at night.

Posted by: Dimpy S on 2010-03-12, 05:25:37

Even i work in night shifts.. i also want to know Dimpy

Posted by: Jonathan H on 2010-03-12, 23:33:01

I second all of those who recommend changing shifts/ jobs. I worked graveyard for five years and it messed me up. Of course, I was also smoking and drinking lots of coffee to stay awake too. I lost about 15 lbs (not in a good way. It was probably all muscle mass), I had major stomach problems and also developed emotional problems. If changing shifts/ jobs is not an option, my only suggestion is this, look into taking a melatonin supplement before you sleep. It really helped me to get more restful sleep during the day.