In short
Work shifts or at nightmisalign your internal clock with your schedules: it forces you to sleep during the day and perform at night, against your biology. This causes insomnia, drowsiness and, in the long term, more cardiovascular and metabolic risk. You can't eliminate the turn, but with the right strategieslight, sleep and schedulesits impact is greatly reduced.
Sleep against the clock
Our body is designed to be active during the day and sleep at night, following thecircadian rhythm that marks above all the light. Shift work breaks this synchronicity: you have to sleep during the day - when the body asks to be awake - and work at night - when it asks to sleep.
The result is thesleep disorder due to shift work: poorer quality and shorter sleep during the day, and drowsiness and lack of concentration during the night shift, with a greater risk of errors and accidents. Furthermore, if maintained over time, it is associated with more cardiovascular, metabolic and digestive problems.
The key is not to “hold on”, butmanagethe shift: how to use light, when and how to sleep, strategic naps and habits. With these tools, the impact is significantly reduced.
How it affects the body
Shift work alters theritmo circadiano, the biological clock that regulates sleep-wake cycles, temperature, digestion and hormonal secretion. When the body is programmed to sleep at night and be awake during the day, night shifts or rotating shifts break that synchrony.
The most frequent consequences are insomnia, daytime sleepiness and reduced quality of sleep. Circadian alterations, digestive and metabolic problems, increased cardiovascular risk and mental health problems also occur.
In the long term, hormonal and metabolic imbalance increases the likelihood ofhypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes and overweight. That's why it's not just about “holding on,” but about managing the shift.
How many people work in shifts?
The prevalence of shift work varies by country and sector. According to theInternational Labor Organization (ILO), between the15% and 30%of workers in developed countries are employed in shift work, especially in industry, healthcare, public services and transportation.
InEurope, approximately20%of workers have shifts; inSpain, around the23%, according to data from the Active Population Survey (EPA). Furthermore, the19%of the European population works at least two hours between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
The 2005 International Classification of Sleep Disorders estimates that between2% and 5%of workers could suffer from a sleep disorder related to shift work, characterized by excessive sleepiness or interruption of sleep for at least a month.
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Frequent signs
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Why does it affect your health?
Clock imbalance has consequences that should be known and prevented.
You sleep and work against your internal clock.
Daytime sleep is shorter and of poorer quality.
Greater risk of accidents on the night shift.
In the long term, more hypertension and heart problems.
Eating at night alters weight and digestion.
The shift maintained affects the mood.
How we help you rest better
We design a realistic plan for your type of shift, with strategies that really work.
First consultation
We analyze your shift, your sleep and your habits
Light strategy
When to look for it and when to avoid it depending on your turn
Sleep and nap plan
How and when to sleep to rest better
Tracking
We adjust and assess whether sleep needs to be studied
I had been working rotating shifts for years and was exhausted. They gave me a plan for electricity, naps and schedules adapted to my shifts. I sleep better during the day and make it through the night without falling asleep.
★★★★★
We solve your doubts
Can I fully adapt to the night shift?
How should I sleep after a night shift?
Do naps help?
Is shift work bad for your health?
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Content reviewed by the medical team of the Sleep Research Institute.