A study in the United States revealed the impact of long-term night work on human health, specifically its association with cancer risk. Studies have pointed out that long night shifts may lead to the imbalance of the body's biological clock, which in turn affects the expression of tumor-related genes. This alteration in gene expression may lead to DNA damage, which increases the risk of cancer. In addition to cancer risk, long-term night shifts can lead to other health problems. Since night shift work is often accompanied by sleep deprivation, this not only affects physical health but can also lead to mental and emotional problems. For example, poor sleep quality may lead to anxiety and even affect gastrointestinal function, leading to symptoms such as loss of appetite. Those who regularly work night shifts may face multiple health challenges. While some people may be able to adapt to this irregular sleep pattern, this lifestyle can be detrimental to most people in the long run. To reduce these health risks, it is advisable to avoid long-term night shifts as much as possible and look for ways to improve sleep quality. At the same time, it is important to increase awareness of these health risks and take preventive measures.
What are the dangers of working night shifts for a long time?
Vision problems: Constant night shifts increase the burden on the eyes, which can lead to dryness, pain, and even dry eyes. Prolonged eye strain can also cause vision loss, such as blurred or distorted vision. Reduced reflexes: Long-term night shifts can affect brain health and reduce reaction speed. A British study found that the effects of not sleeping for 24 hours can be analogous to a drunken state, when blood alcohol levels can reach 0.1%, leading to sluggish reflexes and uncoordinated movements. Impaired digestive system: Irregular eating times can take a toll on the digestive system. Night shift workers, in particular, tend to eat late-night snacks, Xi which can lead to indigestion and stomach problems in the long run. Imbalance in hormone levels: A lifestyle that reverses day and night can disrupt the body's hormone levels, which can lead to endocrine system disruptions, reduce immunity, and make the body more susceptible to disease. Increased risk of high blood pressure: Studies have shown that people who sleep less than 6 hours a night on average have a much higher risk of developing high blood pressure than those who get enough sleep. Disrupting the rhythm of physiological activity may not only cause an increase in blood pressure, but also increase cholesterol levels and release more inflammatory factors.
Staying up late is unavoidable, how to minimize the damage? These 4 methods may as well be learned together
Eat regularly: Even night shift workers need to keep their meals regular and choose light, nutritionally balanced foods. This helps prevent gastrointestinal problems such as bloating, indigestion, and constipation. When working at night, a moderate amount of late-night snacks can avoid excessive hunger and decreased physical strength. Optimize work schedules: Minimize frequent shifts to reduce physical and mental stress. If it is unavoidable, communicate with colleagues or superiors to seek a more reasonable working schedule so that the workload can be reduced. Get a good night's sleep: Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night, maintain a regular sleep time and a comfortable sleeping environment to avoid excessive fatigue and lack of sleep. Drink health tea: After staying up late, drinking health tea (such as chrysanthemum tea and wolfberry tea) can reduce the damage to the eyes and liver. Health tea can provide essential water, promote body metabolism, and reduce the adverse effects of staying up late.
Can I make up for it if I stay up late?
After staying up late, it is beneficial to catch up on sleep in time, but it takes about a week to fully recover Xi and cognitive state. Recovery from long stays up late is more difficult. However, for night shift workers, as long as a fixed routine is maintained, such as working at night and resting during the day, the negative health impact is relatively small. What's more important to note is the frequent change of day and night shift work patterns, which can seriously disrupt the biological clock. Workarounds include reducing the frequency of shift rotation and scheduling shifts in a clockwise pattern as much as possible (i.e., day shift followed by night shift). As for effective ways to regulate the biological clock, light is key. Whether it's natural or artificial light, make sure you have plenty of light during the night shift, and wear black sunglasses during the day to simulate the natural changes of the light-dark cycle and help your body adjust to different working hours.