Coping with a Shift Work Sleep Disorder
If you discover that you cannot work as long as you did previously, or if the cost of shift working is finally starting to affect your health, you could be experiencing shift work sleep disorder or SWSD. This complaint may mean that you are increasingly sleepy through the day but unable to sleep while fighting the urge to sleep on the job when working the night shift. Here are some things that you can do in order to treat the symptoms.
One of the first things you should try to do is change your work schedule. When you are working at night, you are confusing your body’s natural circadian rhythm, which will make you even more sluggish and grouchy. Circadian rhythm is the body’s internal biological clock, which regulates sleep and awake times. Working the night shift is expecting your body to work when it needs to sleep and vice versa. This is obviously not the normal way of resting, so, if feasible, talk to your supervisor about your complaint so that you can receive as much nocturnal sleep as possible.
Here are some sleep strategies for shift workers that you may like to try. If you must work your shift, it is a good idea to stay away from caffeinated beverages while you are working, and particularly right before you go to sleep. Caffeine dries the respiratory tracts, and may work as a stimulant for a while, but will make you feel even more tired and groggy after the buzz wears off. This could cause sleep apnea syndrome in many folks, not to mention excessive snoring. So, try to drink fruit juices, or ask your doctor about natural supplements you can take while you work.
Other symptoms connected with shift work sleep disorder include insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness. The latter is closely connected with a chronic neurological disorder termed Narcolepsy where a sufferer might find themselves doing things that they cannot remember afterwards or experiencing dramatic dreams while not actually sleeping. Additional consequences of SWSD are fatigue, decreased ability to concentrate or focus, irritability and feelings of tension and depression.
If your sleep problems are ongoing, you should pay a visit to your physician, who might encourage you to maintain a sleep diary, and to write down any patterns that you see or experience when you are feeling drowsy. You will additionally need to keep yourself on a normal sleep schedule, so that your body will develop a rhythm for resting. Sometimes, medications such as Ritalin might be prescribed. If you believe this may be your best option, talk to your doctor about the recommended dosage for you, based upon the severity of your symptoms. Bear in mind that stimulant drugs do have side effects, so if you find that your blood pressure goes up or you are more grouchy, you might need to investigate different alternatives for treating your shift work sleep disorder.
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