The Most Common Types of Circadian Rhythm Disorders - Everyday Health

Shift work disorder affects people who work late night shifts, overnight shifts or a rotating, unfixed schedule, including evening hours, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Causes

Because of this irregular work schedule, you may not be able to get onto a routine sleep-wake cycle and get the quality sleep your body needs to rest and reset, says Marie-Pierre St-Onge, PhD, the director of the Sleep Center of Excellence at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City.

Signs and Symptoms

"The patient experiences excessive sleepiness and has difficulty falling asleep and maintaining sleep when they would like to sleep," Dr. St-Onge says.

You may encounter difficulty concentrating, headaches, and overall lethargy, too.

About 10 percent to 40 percent of shift workers have SWSD, according to the Mayo Clinic. It has been linked in research to an increased likelihood of workplace accidents and driving accidents.

Treatment

Treatment for shift work disorder is individualized for each patient, Al-Sharif says. For some people, taking a nap before their shift, drinking coffee in the first half of their overnight workday, or taking prescribed medications that promote wakefulness may do the trick, he says.

In others, patients may be encouraged to avoid caffeine hours before bedtime, and to drive home with sunglasses so there is no exposure to sun or light, and attempt to sleep as soon as they're done with work so that there is some overlap with a regular sleep cycle.

Across the board, patients should try to establish a consistent sleep routine even on days when they don't have shifts to promote stability.

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