Improving Sleep Deprivation in the Second and Third Shift Worker

Methods to Improve Sleep Quality and Remedy "Shift Lag"

Working a second or third shift can wreak havoc upon an employee's natural ability to obtain the necessary number of sleep hours required to function at work. With over 25 million Americans working second and third shifts at work, sleep disorders among shift workers has become a growing phenomenon among sleep study groups. Sometimes referred to as "shift lag", these American workers may be suffering from loss of sleep when not at work and subsequently risk falling asleep while at work leading to risk of work injuries and accidents. Understanding the dynamics of sleep and the impact on shift workers, along with measures to improve shift worker sleep deprivation, will work to keep these second and third shift employees from suffering from ailing health and possible work related injuries.

For shift workers, working a second and third shift, the first step in resolving "shift lag", and improving sleep deprivation, lies in the ability to rule out other underlying health factors. Common sleep deprivation health factors may include sleep apnea, narcolepsy and even depression. Therefore, before visiting a local sleep study center, consult with a healthcare professiona for evaluation to rule out other underlying health factors which may further complicate sleep for the second and third shift worker.

With no other underlying health issues, the key to improve sleep for the shift worker lies in the promotion and encouragement to engage in deep and REM sleep quickly rather than lying, stagnant, in light sleep periods. For many shift workers, finding a dark and quiet place to sleep when the sun is shining, proved challenging when the body was normally programmed to obtain six to eight hours of sleep at night.