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Health dangers of disturbed sleep |
 sleep Good sleep is extremely important for health. It is the time when the body does all its repair work - physically and mentally. All minute muscle tears and strains are repaired, all organs go through a phase of detoxification and all items in the short term memory are processed into the long-term memory.
People who work rotating shifts during the night and early morning have significantly lower levels of the hormone and neurotransmitter serotonin, according to a study of 683 men.
Serotonin plays an important role in the regulation of sleep, and low levels have been linked to:
- • Sleep problems
- • Anger
- • Depression
- • Anxiety
In the study, men who worked hours when the body typically expects to be sleeping (shifts starting at 6 p.m.) had notably lower levels of serotonin than those working shifts during the day.
Working the night shift is problematic because it throws off your circadian rhythm
or your body’s internal clock. Rotating shift workers typically sleep one to four hours less than average, and often feel fatigued when they’re awake. Further, night shift workers have an increased risk of:
- • Prostate cancer
- • Heart disease
- • Gastrointestinal problems
While I understand that some of us have to work unnatural hours (particularly firefighters, Gardi, bar staff, health care and other emergency workers), this practice will put you at an increased risk for early death.
If at all possible, I would encourage night-shift workers to change their hours, and then follow the article 'Guidelines for a Good Night's Sleep" to get their sleep schedule back on track.
Source:
Study published in the August 1st issue of the journal Sleep.
Science Daily August 1, 2007
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