Sleepless nights, due to circumstances, happen at all. But when they become the norm, then health problems arise. This is typical for workers in night and floating modes.
First of all, sleep is disturbed. Its failure signals an incorrect lifestyle and causes a gradual and irreversible destruction of all body systems. There are ways to alleviate suffering and delay the sad consequences.
Consequences of sleep disturbance during night activity and floating chart
Circadian rhythms are fluctuations in the frequency of biological processes of the body associated with a change in the time of day.
The person is configured for daytime wakefulness and night rest. That is his nature.
Initially, the system works flawlessly: on the street it is light - energy is wasted, dark - forces are restored.
During the day, metabolic processes accelerate, organs work in accordance with the load, body temperature rises.
With the sunset, activity slows down, pulls to sleep.
Activity at night disrupts biorhythms. This is manifested in the following symptoms:
- digestive upset;
- inability to fall asleep when necessary and drowsiness during work;
- depression, weakness;
- search for conflicts, provocation of others;
- depressive thoughts.
Failure occurs with all-night workers sooner or later. Changes are slow and almost imperceptible. Cardiovascular, nervous and mental diseases develop, mental activity regresses.
Worst of all falls to those whose schedule alternates randomly. The body is not able to get used to such a regimen. The ideal way out is to abandon night shifts and a floating schedule. But this is not always feasible.
Setting mode
ATTENTION! The need for rest is an individual parameter. Some people need eleven hours, others need five.
On average, it takes 6-8 hours a day to sleep. In order to have a good rest, you need to establish your norm.
To do this, choose free time, about 2 weeks. Best to take a vacation. They are put into bed constantly at the same time, preferably at 9-10 pm, the alarm is turned off. The first week the body makes up for lack of sleep. In the second week they notice how much it takes to sleep. Observe a few days.
For example, if you fall asleep at 22:00 and wake up at 7:00, then the norm will be 9 hours. That is how much should go to sleep every day, regardless of the degree of employment.
Next, form the mode:
- On weekends, they always go to bed at the same time.
- At work, they spend half an hour sleeping, if this is allowed by the internal routine of the organization.
- When busy all night, divide the norm for sleep before and after the shift. Before starting work they sleep 2 hours. If the duty is half of the dark, it is better to stay awake before the shift. When they get home, they fill up the missing time. If the norm exceeds 9 hours, then the rest time before work is increased, and after that it is reduced.
- If possible, one and a half shifts and a floating schedule are excluded. That is, they work only day, night or 12 hours. Then they have a day off.
- Allocate time for sports. Physical activity contributes to the adaptation of the nervous system. But it is important not to overload the body when it is already exhausted.
Even with these rules, it will still be difficult to recover. But these recommendations help to create at least some kind of regime. So it will be easier to fall asleep and wake up.
Actions during and after work
On the eve of duty, alcohol is excluded from the diet. They prepare food so that upon arrival home they will eat quickly and go to bed. Full-fledged sleeping conditions are provided in advance. They make clean linens, close the windows with blackout curtains.
During duty:
- It is necessary to drink about a liter of water at night. With daily employment, the norm is increased to 2.5 liters. This prevents dehydration.
- Caffeine-containing drinks and products are stopped no later than 6 hours before the end of the shift. To stay awake for the remaining period, it is recommended to engage in concentrated activities, take a walk in the fresh air, and wash yourself with cold water.
- Food is taken no later than 22:00. When a feeling of hunger appears, they manage with easily digestible foods with a minimum fat content. They eat particular hours. Eating on the run exacerbates the effects of nighttime activity.
- The working area is provided with good fluorescent lighting.
After work:
- In sunny weather, they put on dark glasses before going outside. Darkening promotes the production of melatonin - the sleep hormone.
- Go home by transport, as the walk invigorates. During the trip, awake to come home and get enough sleep.
- If there is a feeling of hunger, then they organize a light snack of vegetables, fruits, cereals.
- Before sending to bed, extraneous irritants are excluded: TV, computer, phone. If necessary, use earplugs and eye mask. Outerwear is removed.
- It is important to wake up when the daily norm of rest ends. To do this, set an alarm. If you oversleep, the failure of circadian rhythms will worsen.
- The duration of rest should correspond to the phase of sleep. One phase lasts 1.5 to 2 hours. That is, they fall for 4.5 - 6 hours, for example. It depends on the individual norm and the time allotted for rest before the shift.
ATTENTION! Working at night and a floating schedule are not only inconvenient, but also destructive. The body will not fully recover. The consequences of such labor are only a matter of time.
