6 Easy Techniques To Cope With Night Shift Work

People working the night shift poses a huge challenge for their sleeping system, because of the improper light exposure/ activity levels. The exposure to light sets our body temperature rhythm and controls our melatonin levels. If you work a night shift, you're remaining active while your body thinks it's time to sleep.This put a strain on your sleeping system, and it's also difficult on your emotional life as it limits your social activities with friends and family.

And because of the lack of light during work, many night shift workers feels drowsy during work, some night shift workers even doze off when driving home in their cars. Highlighted below are some recommendations for you to get quality sleep and feel less drowsy during work.

1. Routine

Maintaining a "regular sleping schedule during the weekends is important. By sleeping the same way during the weekend that you do during the weekdays, you ensure that your body temperature rhythm becomes adjusted to this setting, you'll get better sleep and higher energy levels in the long run.

2. Short nap

Due the lack of sunlight in your schedule, your body will try to sleep longer than other people. But chances are you still want to interact with your love ones during the day, so if you still feel un-rested and drowsy after your sleep, take a short 10-45 minute nap during the day. The brief period of stage 2 sleep will charge you physically -allowing you to stay more alert during the day.

3. Exercise before work

Exercise will create a rise in your body temperature rhythm, this makes you more awake and alert during work. As you experienced high temperature at work, you will get low temperature after work, that will make you easier to fall asleep and sleep deeply.

4. Bright light during work

Exposing yourself to high intensity light while working the night shift,would let you becomes more energetic as the light raises your body temperature. As you feel more energetic during your work, your would feel tired after work, thus allowing you to have quality sleep after work.

Best way to combat fatigue at work is to have an artificial bright light generator (talk to your boss about it -it is good for productivity) that can generate 5000-10000 luxes of light.

5. Avoid that Morning Sun

Try to avoid light when you leave work by wearing dark sunglasses, this will lower the chance that your body will get confused and think it's time to wake up. Also make sure that you sleep in a dark room after work, and that your sleep isn't interrupted by bright light. Bright morning light is a major cue for your body that it's rise and shine time and this will limit your sleep drastcially.

6. Do not sleep immediately

Do not sleep for the first 3 hours when you reach home (usually 6-7am in the morning) as it is interrupted by morning activity around the house. The first 3 hours of your sleep contains the largest portion of your deep sleep, so you shouldn't go to bed right after your work.But wait until everyone in your house leaves for work and the children have eaten breakfast and are in school -this way you can wind down abit after work and get to sleep.

Partnering for Health

Sara's one-hour surgery took three and a half hours. The doctor's promise of "no pain" was a lie. The promise of "only one incision" was, too. The "four-hour easy recovery" actually involved 24 hours in ICU. We are only home now because we have life support equipment.
Sara's mad at us, but she'll get over it. I even expect her to smile again soon. But for now, every time a family member comes to visit her, Sara simply must tell them all about her hospital visit, making full use of her hoarse voice and her cutest pout.
As for the family, we're hoping that the vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) surgery proves to be the promised cure for seizures. The VNS is like a pacemaker, stimulating a nerve in the neck, and we've heard that many patients with intractable seizures have benefited from this device.
The previous week. . .
Like many parents waiting for a doctor to come out after surgery, my husband and I became agitated when the doctor didn't appear until hours after the estimated time. When he finally came out, he told us that everything was all right, but that nothing had gone the way it had been planned, which didn't put us in high spirits.
The doctor promised that we could go back and see our daughter in an hour, but after two hours had passed, my fear level had increased, and I grew more hostile. I pestered the young man at the information desk until I finally got to speak to Sara's nurse on the phone. By the time they let me into the recovery room, I was an emotional tornado, spinning black clouds around everyone who came near me.
Sara was more than mad; she was scared and in extreme pain. The doctors couldn't remove the intubation tube because Sara wasn't able to breathe on her own, and she couldn't have pain medication because her blood pressure wasn't stable. She was on the verge of hypothermia with a temperature of 88.
"I don't think she's getting the best care," I said to the nurse. That was a mistake. As soon as I blurted this out, I thought: "Careful, they can kick me out of here anytime they want to."
I guess I should have been a nurse instead of an interior designer.
In Surviving Healthcare: How to Take Charge and Get the Best from Your Doctor, Your Hospital, and Your Health Insurance, Pam Armstrong says, "Remember, you should know about and have a say in everything that happens to your body while you are in a hospital. Your health should always be the focus of your care. Hospital routines should serve your needs, not the staff's or hospital's needs. Don't let yourself be intimidated by hospital staff who seem to feel otherwise. To get the best care, combine assertiveness with a partnering and empathetic approach toward staff, who may have overfull workloads."
When the patient is a child or is otherwise unable to speak for themselves, a family member must work in partnership with the hospital staff to make sure the patient gets the best care. I learned years ago that hysterical outbursts at nurses and other hospital staff do little for my daughter. I've learned to keep my mouth shut, to think first, and then to speak gently. That doesn't mean that what I say doesn't count--I've just learned a few key phrases that will show the hospital staff that I know what type of care my daughter needs.
After mothering Sara (requesting heated blankets, wiping tears, and straightening her legs), I explained my fears to the nurse. Apologizing for my outburst, I told the nurse how scared we were because the surgery had taken longer and had been more involved than had been planned, and because Sara was in pain. Instead of telling me to leave the recovery room, the nurse agreed to let my husband come in, too.
Acknowledging my fears and keeping my mouth closed helped our daughter receive the best care during her hospital stay. Sara, at twenty-five, still needs total care because of disabilities. Instead of placing Sara in an adult intensive care unit with many patients and limited visiting hours, Sara was moved to Pediatric ICU, where the ratio of patients to nurses is only two to one. There was also newer equipment, but best of all, they allowed me to sleep in her private room.
You too can learn to help care for a loved one when they're faced with hospitalization. Just remember to partner with the physicians and hospital staff to ensure that your loved one will get the best care.
(c) Copyright 2005 Jeanette J. Fisher

For more information about Surviving Healthcare: How to Take Charge and Get the Best from Your Doctor, Your Hospital, and Your Health Insurance (Chestnut Ridge Books, 2004, ISBN 0-9754560-59, $19.95), see. After nearly 25 years in health care administration, Pamela Armstrong, MPH, MBA, is on a one-woman mission to ensure consumers that they get the quality care they're entitled to.