SINGAPORE - This festive weekend, Yan Zhengrong will be at work till 5am every day. Working night shifts is a common occurrence for the 26-year-old chef. During the festive period, he is lucky to get by with four hours of sleep each day.
Likewise, Karen (not her real name), a shop assistant, often works overnight. And even though she is dead tired after work, Karen has difficulties falling asleep in the daytime due to the many errands she has to run.
When she wants to sleep, she is often kept awake by the noise from the daily activities of her family members. As a result, she is often tired and listless.
Shift workers like Zhengrong and Karen are not uncommon in Singapore. Amid the festivities in the coming weeks, those working in the food and beverage, sales, entertainment and security industries are likely to be rostered to work during odd hours.
While pulling an all-nighter occasionally is harmless, sleep experts TODAY spoke to warned that irregular sleeping hours can disrupt a person's sleep quality in the long term, putting him or her at high risk of developing circadian rhythm sleep disorders (CRSD).
Shift workers tend to sleep fewer hours than people who work regular office hours, so they are more prone to long-term partial sleep deprivation, said Dr Lim Li Ling, director of Singapore General Hospital's sleep disorders unit.
She added: "Our bodies operate optimally on a regular internal 'clock'. For instance, most people sleep best between 10pm to midnight and 6am to 8am, with about six to eight hours of sleep daily."
Personal Opinions:
If a person who works on a shift system, his body's natural sleep-wake system goes haywire. The body won't know when to sleep and when to stay awake. Due to rapidly changing of work times; changing shifts every few days; makes it difficult for the body to adjust and can be very stressful on the body. As a result, those who don't get enough good quality sleep suffer poor work or school performance and they have difficulty concentrating in tasks which require attention and vigilance. Furthermore, a host of health problems would occur such as an increased in risk of heart disease, depression, weight gain and, at worst, a shorter life span. Hence, with restful of sleep is essential for good health. In addition, by having regular exercise, avoiding alcohol and excessive caffeine could help you sleep better. After your night shift, try to avoid bright light by wearing sunglasses while commuting home from work in the morning.
Yanling
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