Tag: health

You will feel better and function better if you can work and sleep at times of day the body naturally prefers for these activities.

If you work an on-call, unpredictable schedule, you frequently go to bed and get up at different times. Even if you work a fixed schedule, you may be on the job in non-daylight hours. Your work schedule may be out of sync with the daily activities of family and friends.
People who frequently short-change themselves on sleep forget how great it feels to be well-rested. They get used to feeling tired all the time and try to convince themselves that they can manage just fine. They often cling to sleep myths.

Your body clock also directs manual dexterity, ups and down in reaction time, and the the rise and fall of body temperature and blood pressure over the day. It sparks hunger pangs before your usual meal times, controls how fast medications work, and directs the timing of hundreds of functions that make your body run smoothly.

These two seemingly opposed internal processes—the body clock and the sleep drive—work together to make it possible for people to stay awake for 15 or 16 hours, and then sleep roughly seven to nine hours straight.
Your body clock adjusts to schedule changes. This process moves slowly, however. After switching between day work and night work, for example, most people find it takes several days to feel as alert and sleep as soundly as they usually do.
Learn to tell time on your body clock. Then use body time to organize your day.
Your healthcare provider may suggest that you see a sleep specialist, and refer you to a sleep center in your area.

Learn about how common substances in the shiftwork lifestyle can impact your sleep.

Mindfulness programs in the workplace, from stress-reducing courses to meditation and yoga, aim to combat burnout and stress while potentially improving sleep quality.
If you work an on-call, unpredictable schedule, you frequently go to bed and get up at different times. Even if you work a fixed schedule, you may be on the job in non-daylight hours. Your work schedule may be out of sync with the daily activities of family and friends.

Learn about how common substances and drugs can impact your sleep.

We all have good and bad habits. By focusing on the good, and trying to give up the bad, you can improve your sleep and overall health.
Your healthcare provider may suggest that you see a sleep specialist, and refer you to a sleep center in your area.

Your healthcare provider may suggest that you see a sleep specialist, and refer you to a sleep center in your area.

Your healthcare provider may suggest that you see a sleep specialist, and refer you to a sleep center in your area.

When you work on an unpredictable or varying schedule, you may not be able to get as much sleep as you need every day.

Savvy railroaders have devised tactics to cope with their often unpredictable hours. They have figured out how to best get sleep in daylight hours, when sunlight, noise, and other factors make sleep shorter or less restful than it would be at night.

Arranging your schedule to be able to eat together as a family as often as possible is a good practice.
People who frequently short-change themselves on sleep forget how great it feels to be well-rested. They get used to feeling tired all the time and try to convince themselves that they can manage just fine. They often cling to sleep myths.
Robert Stickgold, PhD, of Harvard, tells how sleep helps you learn facts and remember them.