Tips For Tackling Negative Effects Of Working At Night

Dear men, does your never-ending workload leave you working late nights on most days? The result? When the whole world is snoozing, some of you are working silently. Relatable?  Then it’s time you woke up (pun intended) to the slew of negative effects of working at night! 

As night shifts become inevitable to accommodate different time zones of a diverse workforce, it becomes all the more imperative to address this rising trend.  In this blog, we will discuss these negative effects of working at night, followed by some significant tips to counteract them. 

What Are The Side Effects Of Working At Night?

• Hinders Natural Sleep Patterns

Sleep plays a significant role in one’s overall health. While you slumber, your body doesn’t sleep, rather it purges toxins, repairs injury, lowers stress levels, and helps rejuvenate your mind and soul. Working in night shifts doesn’t just intrude on the body's natural sleep cycle, it also interferes with vital sleep-related processes that can impact your immune system, metabolism, and respiratory system. ^{1 2}

• Alters The Body’s Metabolism

Our bodies have a circadian rhythm that helps regulate sleep, eating habits, blood pressure, and body temperature. Working night shifts deleteriously affects the circadian rhythm and interferes with releasing hormones including melatonin, cortisol (the stress hormone), leptin, and others. Changes in these hormones lead to modifications in the body's metabolism as well as decreased glucose tolerance and increased insulin resistance.  ^{3 4}

• Increases Risk Of Insomnia-related Anxiety

Studies show that night shift workers experience insomnia-related anxiety more commonly than non-shift workers. It is mainly due to sleep deprivation. Furthermore, interference with the body's natural sleep-wake cycle frequently results in disrupted sleep. Working late at night can cause mental health problems such as irritation, depression and mood disorders. ^{2 5} 

• Affects Gastrointestinal System

An increased risk of gastrointestinal issues is one of the negative effects of working at night for an extended time. People who work late at night typically lack sleep and have strange food habits. Additionally, they eat a lot of food that is heavy in fat and carbohydrates since they snack frequently during breaks. Incompatible mealtimes can affect the digestive system and the fundamental operations of the pancreatic, bile, and gastric fluids. ⁶

• Impacts Male Fertility

Irregular work schedules, stress, tight deadlines, and other factors can disrupt a person's ability to get proper sleep. Men's circadian clocks can be thrown off by sleep deprivation or irregular sleeping habits, which can lead to erectile dysfunction. In addition, testosterone (a hormone that stimulates male sexual activity) levels also fall, which affects semen quality and leads to a decline in male fertility. ^{7, 8} 

10 Ways To Combat The Effects Of Working At Night 

Working late at night could be tiring and exhausting. Here are 10 effective ways to deal with the negative effects of working at night. 

1. Avoid Eating Late At Night: Your meal timings can also impact the body's metabolism and circadian rhythm. Additionally, it has been established that eating late at night is unhealthy since it raises blood glucose levels, one of the risk factors for diabetes. As a result, it is recommended to avoid late-night snacking or meals.

2. Nap During Breaks: You might briefly nap for 15-20 minutes during your night shift. This will keep you awake, attentive, and rejuvenated throughout your task while helping to replenish your energy levels. 

3. Seek Professional Help If Necessary: There are chances that long-term lack of sleep can disrupt your regular sleep cycles even on non-working days or after you transition to a day-only work hours. If this happens, then don’t be reluctant to seek professional assistance. Discuss your night shift schedule with your doctor, who may prescribe you meds or sleep aids to help you get sufficient sleep.

4. Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol: Avoid drinking alcohol or caffeine-based drinks to help you stay awake during your nighttime work hours. Its long-lasting effects can prevent you from falling asleep when you’re ready to go to bed later on. 

5. Sleep In The Right Environment: Once you’re ready to hit the sack back home, ensure that you maintain a peaceful environment, even if it’s the wee hours of the morning or daytime. Pre-bedtime rituals like a hot shower or meditation will definitely help. 

6. Enlist The Help Of Those You Live With: Have household help coming in regularly? Do you share a flat with roomies, with your family? Whatever your style of living, don’t shy away from taking help from those at home. Put up a note of your work schedule, time you’d be asleep and when you’d require your meals- so that you’ll not be disturbed when you’re eventually resting out.

7. Get Some Sunlight When You’re Not Working: Sunlight is essential for our health and chances are you’ll be missing out on it due to your night work schedule. So, how do you make up for it? During daytime, when not working, set aside at least 30 mins and take a stroll in the sun. This way, your body will feel refreshed.

8. Eat A Healthy Diet: When your normal wake-sleep routine is off balance, it is bound to affect your metabolism too. Try as much as possible to stick to your regular food pattern. Don’t make drastic diet changes. Avoid high-sugar or hard-to-digest meals . Have frequent but small meals.

9. Turn Off Electronics An Hour Before Going To Sleep: Blue light from your devices and other electronics have the potential to disrupt your sleep. They can also activate your alertness, thus preventing you from sleeping tight. For a better sleep, turn off all electronics at least an hour before you sleep.

10. Avoid Nicotine Before Bed: Cigarettes contain nicotine, which is a known stimulant & prevents you from falling asleep. If you smoke to help you stay awake during your night work hours, then it’s important to avoid it altogether before bed.

To Sum Up

In an insanely busy world, maintaining a work-life balance frequently seems impossible. It is your job to take care of your health, regardless of whether you work from home or are a night-shift employee. Sleep deprivation for a prolonged time has many harmful repercussions on your health. In this blog, we’ve talked about the negative effects of working at night as well as the ways to deal with them. Male infertility is one of the negative repercussions of working at night, which many of you may not be aware of.

So, gentlemen, if you’re worried about working late at night impacting your fertility, there’s a way to stay informed! An at-home sperm test kit can help you assess multiple fertility parameters, including sperm motility, morphology, semen volume, and overall sperm health.

By taking a proactive approach, you can gain valuable insights into your reproductive health and take the necessary steps to improve it. Don’t wait—explore reliable at-home sperm testing options today!

FAQs

Q1. Why Am I Unable To Concentrate On Work During My Night Shift?

Sleep disorders decrease alertness and reaction time, making it difficult for night-shift workers to concentrate and remember things. Thus, resulting in poor work performance. ¹¹

Q2. Can SWSD (Shift Work Sleep Disorder) Affect Male Fertility?

Yes, sleep-deprived night-shift male workers often complain of low libido and reduced sexual desire. Long-term risks of SWSD include reproductive issues and low testosterone. ^{11 12}

Q3. How Can I Check Sperm Count At Home?

Simple. LifeCell’s SpermScore test is the easiest and most convenient way to get insights into your sperm health. It tests 10 sperm health parameters and 14 sperm health conditions right from the comfort of your home.

Q4. Can Working At Night Lead To Digestive Problems?

Yes! When a night-shift worker munches at odd hours at night, he may experience gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. ¹³