Approximately 15 million people in this country work the night shift. Night shift is typically defined as lasting from either 11-7, or in certain cases lasting from 7-7. I work in nursing, which has over the years morphed into using twelve hour shifts as a way adequately cover staffing. Prior to 1999, I usually worked rotating shifts, but since then I have done so exclusively. In the last few years, I have started to notice it is taking me longer to recover between shifts a consequences of aging and the cumulative effects.
What are some of the physical effects of choosing to work night shift? Many workers end up struggling with fatigue and sleep disruption. They either feel fatigued or notice a decrease in mental alertness while at work, find it is difficult to go to sleep once they get home, in my case when I am off work my first day I feel a bit like a zombie. My husband who travels for a living and often arrives home tired himself, says I am pretty grouchy on my first day off. I typically need two days to recover fully so if I have less than two days off in between shifts, I definitely feel foggy.
This article suggests that women who work night shift might be at a higher risk of developing diabetes. Workers may also struggle with mood disorders, higher rates of cancer, and even a potential for a decreased life span. Some Dutch women have received compensation when they developed breast cancer when there were some findings linking it to working night shift. I think that is unlikely to ever to happen here.
Who are the night shift workers in this country? Some of us are in traditional 24 hour professions (nurses, firemen, and cops) others are in either service industry or industrial sectors. A few people chose to work nights because they perceive themselves to be natural night owls, others find it easier to manage child care, go to school or attempt to manage two jobs. Many people are given no choice in the matter. In some circumstances, working the night shift also involves getting extra pay. There might be less supervision and more autonomy for those who work nights, which is part of the reason I continued to do it for so long. My boss rarely questions my decisions even when they seem unorthodox and when she does it generally consists of a suggestion to "do it differently next time." On the other hand, in hospitals at least, when things go wrong at night that autonomy can create a sense of adversity that can feel overwhelming. When I had to organize an evacuation of a building in our institution that housed both patients and employees at 0300 AM with two minutes notice due to a gas leak that independence felt rather like a burden. When I had to explain to the chief medical officer few hours later exactly what I did and how long it took me, I more or less came up with a blank. Lucky for me, other people provided him with a time line. He asked me if I planned on coming back for my next scheduled shift and I said "what and miss the next big thing"? He told the chief nursing officer that I was a little weird but clearly competent. Although I have no scientific data to act as a bulwark, my observation is that people who chose to work nights tend to be either slightly quirky or slightly introverted.
There can also be a sense of detachment or disconnection that arises when one works nights. It can be an advantage if one prefers to create some distance from the universe, or a strain that can isolate one from friends and family. Most people don't quite grasp the night work concept and often say stupid things when they call during the day like "oh were you sleeping" or "why were you sleeping." They seem to think you should both be awake during the day like normal folk and then go to work. Sadly, some people do that, many of the younger people I work with think they can exist on very little sleep. I am not one of them.
Most people who work nights on a long term basis develop certain routines. I typically get up very early on my first day of work (at 0400 or 0500), do a bunch of things and then take a short nap during the afternoon. So, my first night of work, I am generally operating on just a few hours sleep. When I come home in the morning, I eat, watch the news, and pass out. On my first day off I typically come home, sleep two or three hours, and then get back up to put myself on a "normal" schedule. Others, stay on a night routine permanently even on their days off. Everybody finds their survival methods and refines them. Right now, the extra money helps to pay school tuition, but I am finally envisioning a future in which I want to work days.
If you have a loved one or friend who works nights, be supportive. Don't bother them when they are sleeping, respect their needs to adjust, and try not to undermine whatever works for them even if it seems odd. If you work nights, learn to listen to your body, don't over estimate your ability to function on no or little sleep, recognize signs you might not be coping and don't disregard them. Most colleagues tell me when they switch from nights to days they do feel better.
If you are a night worker feel free to share your experiences in the comments both positive and negative, let me know what works for you, what doesn't, and why you chose to work nights. I am very interested in hearing your perpective. So for all you nine to fivers, know among you are a slightly off beat and often forgotten group of people who often take care of essential services and jobs while you are off in dream world.